New bike lane will close one gap in city’s active transportation network: advocates

KAMLOOPS — The city’s first separated, protected bike lane is being built along Sixth Avenue from Columbia to Landsdowne Streets. It’s part of the City’s plan to add active transportation options to routes all around town, and cycling advocates are looking forward to the new route.

“The more infrastructure that we see developed in Kamloops, the more appealing it is going to be for people to get out and use their bikes for transportation,” said Deb Alore, founding member of the Kamloops Cycling Coalition.

There are many painted-on bike lanes in Kamloops — the ones along Valleyview Drive, for example.

An existing bike lane in Valleyview (Photo credit: CFJC Today).

The new one will be safer, according to Darren Crundwell, the City’s capital project manager.

“This is a formalized bike lane for just bikes — cars can’t drive in it. It is separated from the edge of the roadway with a hard-median surface,” said Crundwell.

“We don’t have any in the city, I don’t believe… you see them a lot in Vancouver, I think Kelowna has a few, so this is just for bikes.“

The bike lane will replace one lane of parking. There will still be two southbound and two northbound lanes, and one lane of parking remaining.

“[A bike lane] also benefits businesses. Studies are showing that communities that have adopted active transportation and cycling friendly routes, places like Kamloops and Paris and the Nordic countries, the business community has embraced what they’ve seen,” said Alore.

“No longer are people speeding past businesses in a car — they’re actually participating, they’re on the street, they’re integrated into the business community,” said Alore.