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Saint John Common Council is planning to put University Avenue on a road diet.
At Monday’s meeting, council approved the 2021 Traffic Safety Improvement Projects, which includes a plan to reduce University Avenue from four lanes of traffic to two in favour of making more space for cyclists.
The plan would also see a bus shelter pushed further down the street to reduce traffic congestion near the Millidge Avenue intersection, and signalized crosswalks at Bloom Street and Varsity Street.
Most councillors gushed about the plan, and its focus on safety improvement and active transportation.
“This is a good news story. This shows how progressive the city has become,” said Councillor John MacKenzie.
David Hickey, councillor in ward 3, agreed with MacKenzie and pointed out that many of the city’s cyclists choose to leave Saint John because it’s safer to bike in outlying municipalities like Rothesay and Quispamsis.
“As someone who does cycle around the city quite a bit, it’s incredibly dangerous,” Hickey said. “These are not easy streets to bike on. There’s a huge community of cyclists in the city. There’s a huge community of people who want to be using our streets safely. But the reality is they go elsewhere.”
Councillor-at-large Gary Sullivan also lauded the plan, which he believes will have the added impact of helping the environment as well as residents who can’t afford a motor vehicle.
“People want transportation that is better for the climate, it’s better for the roads,” he said. “For people who live in poverty, a car may be an expense too far. A bicycle is pretty accessible.”
City staff is also working on a similar road diet plan for Main Street North and the Viaduct, which would see reduced lanes in favour of creating space for cyclists.
The city has been in contact with the province, but the province said the current plan violates the Motor Vehicle Act.
Council will send a letter to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure with the hopes they will reconsider their rejection.
Armstrong opposes bike lanes again
Councillor Blake Armstrong spoke animatedly against the idea of prioritizing bike lanes, echoing remarks he made following a Move SJ presentation last October.
“We’re spending an enormous amount on bike lanes,” Armstrong said. “And now we’re proposing for four lanes to go to two lanes for a major artery that goes to the Regional Hospital. Personally, I don’t see how the minute, minute minority are getting ahead of the people that pay their taxes and drive their cars.”
Armstrong went on to say he rarely sees bikers when he’s driving around and would like to see a study on how many cyclists there are in the city.
Multiple councillors, including Sullivan, spoke in opposition to Armstrong’s comments.
“These aren’t just ideas that are pulled out the air, they are researched and they are proven that they work elsewhere,” Sullivan said. “Maybe the reason we don’t see a lot of bicycles on the street is because the streets aren’t built for bicycles.”
Hickey expanded on Sullivan’s point about the lack of cyclists on Saint John streets.
“It’s the same reason you’re not seeing people using canoes on the streets, there’s no place for them right now. It’s not safe and we need to make sure we’re building up that space,” he said.
Further safety improvements
The 2021 traffic safety report also includes plans to improve crosswalks around the city, using Accessible Pedestrian Systems, as well as improving barrier-free parking options in the city’s uptown.
The plan also includes an aim to implement traffic calming measures at all city elementary and middle schools by the end of the program.
Four projects are currently being worked on, including at the Samuel de Champlain, Lakewood Heights, Devine Mercy, and Loch Lomond school communities.
