Region approves plan to reduce vehicle lanes, add bike lanes

Region pushes ahead with adding more bike lanes The Region of Waterloo is pushing ahead in the battle over bike lanes when the province wants to restrict them. Jeff Pickel reports

The Region of Waterloo is pushing ahead with a plan to expand the cycling network in Waterloo.

The plans include several projects in the Uptown and University areas, but most notably it will result in major changes to Bridgeport Road and Erb Street.

Bridgeport and Erb, are both currently three lane, one-way roads bringing traffic in and out of Uptown Waterloo.

The plan would see the reduction of one lane from Uptown to Highway 85 while adding wider sidewalks and separated cycling lanes.

“What the report on Tuesday emphasized was there would be actually really minimal impacts to drivers,” said Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.

According to the Region report, a traffic impact study found during peak hours the impact of these changes would be minimal.

According to the mayor these changes will give people more options to travel.

“This will really give people more affordable choices, healthier choices and ways to get around for short to medium distances that they're traveling,” she added.

This approval comes as Premier Ford takes aim at bike lanes in downtown Toronto, and is tabling legislation that would stop the removal of traffic lanes for cycling lanes.

According to McCabe, the Region’s plan should not be an issue.

“Because we're not taking anything away and we're not reducing travel times, I'm not terribly concerned about the province stepping in, we've also said to the province this is clearly municipal jurisdiction, so we're hoping that they'll realize that,” said McCabe.

More approvals are needed before this plan can go ahead.

If given the green light, construction on parts of the plan could start in 2027, while other aspects would not start until 2032.

Other parts of the Waterloo cycling infrastructure include