Earlier this year, a crew began conducting soil studies up the highway from the Cameron Street Bridge — a first step toward building a dedicated multi-use trail connecting the north side of the bridge to North Pulpmill Road in the Hart.
This new trail won’t run directly alongside busy Highway 97. Instead, as currently planned, it will be buffered from the highway, dipping to the east away from the road, and weave through the woods to offer a safer, quieter route for people walking, running or cycling up and down that steep hill.
It’s a smart and much-needed investment in infrastructure that benefits everyone — not just non-drivers, but motorists too. Keeping different types of traffic safely separated reduces conflict and makes transportation smoother for all.
The need for safer routes couldn’t be clearer. On Monday, July 7, two riders training for the Cops for Cancer Tour de North were struck by a driver in a pickup truck. The driver fled the scene but was later arrested. One of the cyclists died from his injuries. The other remains in hospital.
Just four days later, on Friday, July 11, another cyclist was hit by a vehicle on Winnipeg Street. That driver stayed at the scene and co-operated with police.
These incidents serve as stark reminders of the risks cyclists face when they share the road with vehicles, especially with trucks that seem to get bigger every year.
It’s also important to acknowledge that cyclists, like drivers, are responsible for following the same traffic laws. However, being forced to share a lane with bigger, faster traffic is an uncomfortable and, as this last week shows, sometimes dangerous place to be.
The City of Prince George has just launched a new round of public consultation on its Active Transportation Plan. Translation: it’s looking at how to improve infrastructure for walking, cycling, or rolling.
This will be a process worth watching. The city already has a relatively strong cycling network. Many major roads have painted bike lanes, and those that don’t are often wide enough for motorists to pass cyclists safely without swerving into oncoming traffic.
Prince George also has a decent network of multi-use trails. Some are paved and ideal for cyclists, families out for a walk, or those using mobility devices. For example, the section from 18th Avenue and Foothills through Ginter’s to Ferry Avenue with only a short stretch on a quiet residential street. The route beside Tyner Boulevard, set back from the road, connects the UNBC campus with College Heights.
But we can do better — and the city is asking for your input.
The challenge is that although we have sections of multi-use trails, they aren’t connected.
Additionally, the existing ones have sections in need of repair, replacement, or widening to allow the passage of cyclists and other users, such as those at Cottonwood Park.
The tragedy last week highlights the need for more, and better, bike lanes as well as multi-use trails, physically separated from vehicle traffic. Improved intersections and crossings should be part of a connected, user-friendly system that works for families and commuters alike, whether they’re driving, pedalling, walking, or pushing a stroller.
Not counting 2025’s approximately 31 lane kilometres of road rehabilitation, which included bike lanes, the city is rehabilitating or building approximately 6.5 lane kilometres of sidewalks and multi-use trails. Not counting grants, the city’s cost for that is $700,000 or about $12.71 a year for the average homeowner.
Improvements in the city come at a cost and are worth discussing. For example, would taxpayers be willing to consider an additional $1.05 a month to double what they are currently spending to help keep our neighbours, friends and loved ones safe?
This is about how we want our city to grow. We want to attract people from other communities, and while Prince George offers above-average outdoors experience, urban multi-use trails, like the one that will connect to the Hart, are steps in the right direction.
If this matters to you, take the time to interact with the Active Transportation Plan study, and help shape the future of Prince George’s multi-use trails.
Let’s keep moving forward.
