City Council approves future reviews, hears next steps on cycling lanes

The cycling lanes in Downtown Lethbridge will be staying in place.

On Tuesday, Lethbridge City Council voted 8-1 to approve recommendations from the Assets and Infrastructure Standing Policy Committee. They include directing Administration return to an SPC meeting in summer 2025 with an update on the Downtown bike lane usage – then also return in summer 2026 with a report on bike lane usage, safety, and modifications to address other issues that may arise.

“We know this has been a major topic of discussion in the community, so we wanted to do our due diligence in gathering more information from our residents,” says Acting Mayor Mark Campbell, who is also Chair of the Assets and Infrastructure SPC. “By having yearly usage updates during the next two summers, Council will be able to use new data to best inform future decision making.”

Recent activity and further public engagement

At its March 12 meeting, Lethbridge City Council voted in favour of an Official Business Motion from Councillor Rajko Dodic to seek further public input on the cycling lanes. Two recent opportunities for residents to provide additional feedback to the project were held:

• April 25 during the Community Conversation event at the ENMAX Centre, plus an online survey at Get Involved Lethbridge
• May 2 during the Assets and Infrastructure Standing Policy Committee meeting at Lethbridge City Hall

Next steps and new construction timelines

Council on Tuesday also received an Administration Response from an earlier Council Inquiry, from Councillor Jeff Carlson, regarding completion of the cycling lanes on the portion of 7 Street South from 4 Avenue to 7 Avenue. The project was awarded to only one contractor to complete the work in 2023, and due to the winter season, a small portion was pending to be finished in 2024.

“This phase of the project will connect the 7 Avenue bike boulevard to the lanes in Downtown Lethbridge,” says Bryce Dudley, Senior Project Administrator with the City’s Transportation Department. “More information on that construction will be shared in the coming days and weeks, including direct letters to businesses and residents, proposed timelines and road closure impacts.”

The planned work, all weather dependent, is estimated to begin around May 27 and is estimated to take approximately four weeks to complete. It will include:

• Asphalt patching work on 7 Street South between 6 Avenue and 7 Avenue, scheduled from May 27 to May 28
• Concrete work at the intersection of 7 Street and 5 Avenue, scheduled for the week of May 27. This work also includes parking lot repairs and asphalt re-surfacing to the two angle parking areas on 7 Street immediately south of the 5 Avenue intersection. This work will be localized and will have impacts to street parking in the immediate area while the work is underway
• Finishing protected lanes on 7 Street between 4 Avenue and 5 Avenue
• Some minor repairs along the existing routes
• Road line painting work: This final step is scheduled for mid to late June. This work will include green "sharrows," indicating a shared driving lane for bicycles and motor vehicles

The City is committed to providing adequate notice to businesses and residents, including:

• Directly notify stakeholders in writing of upcoming construction (the first will be sent on Wednesday)
• Staff available to work with affected businesses to minimize disruptions and find solutions that will work for everyone
• Update online construction maps, the Get Involved website, issue Public Service Announcements and engage with media outlets to help amplify construction notices
• Mobilize and commence construction, providing project updates as needed
• Close the project and follow up with affected business

Cycling lane safety information

On May 2, the first of our two-part new bike lane education videos was introduced to highlight safety messages and tips for both cyclists and motorists. Part two focuses on cyclist safety when using the bike lanes and was published earlier today.

Project background

The cycling lane project was recommended in the Cycling Master Plan, adopted by Lethbridge City Council on July 17, 2017. The Cycling Corridors Functional Planning Study, adopted by Council on April 6, 2020, recommended short-term cycling infrastructure along 4 Avenue South and 7 Street South to connect Downtown Lethbridge with the existing pathway and bike boulevard network. 

Public and stakeholder feedback was gathered at each stage of the project via online and in-person engagement. This feedback can be found in the What We Heard reports at the Get Involved Lethbridge website. 

More project information and background are available at Get Involved Lethbridge. The overall project is being funded through existing operating budgets, from the City’s Capital Improvement Program and from external grants.