New funding announced for Saskatoon pathway project

More space to walk, run, bike and commute actively is coming to Saskatoon.

A joint investment between the federal government and City of Saskatoon amounting to more than $2.6 million will be going to support new stretches of multi-use pathway along Dudley Street between Dawes Avenue and Spadina Crescent.

About $1.6 million of that total will be contributed by the federal government. Terry Duguid, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and MP for Winnipeg South, made the announcement alongside Mayor Charlie Clark at Saskatoon City Hall on Friday.

One kilometre of multi-use pathway will be added west of Avenue P, along with 800 metres of bicycle paths and more than a kilometre of sidewalk. The new routes will connect the neighbourhood to employment areas, recreation spaces and the Meewasin Trail.

Clark said the investment will mean more active transportation options are available within the city for residents trying to get to places like the west industrial area and the Gordie Howe Sportsplex.

“We want to be able to change and provide those safe options for people as those opportunities come up,” Clark said, noting that young athletes using the Sportsplex who don’t have access to vehicles will be able to further their training by actively commuting.

Clark added that the route will be an alternative to the current main driving option along 11th Street, which he said can become very busy.

“When we invest in active transportation infrastructure, we’re creating opportunities for healthy living,” Duguid said.

“Our government remains focused on building a brighter future; a more prosperous, more resilient and more sustainable Canada for everyone.”

Duguid added that the pathway will come along with a number of improvements, including new signage and pavement markings, raised crosswalks near school crossings, and two new pedestrian- and cyclist-activated signals.

Clark said the infrastructure development will also reduce flooding, thanks to curbs built along the sidewalks that will divert water away from homes and into the storm-water system.

The project will also help by filling in “orphan sidewalks,” Clark shared — those are places in the city where sidewalks were never developed.

It’s something Clark said has been discussed for years.

These are neighbourhoods where Clark said a decision was made to not develop the sidewalks, but he noted that some of them exist in areas close to schools and along routes where kids regularly walk.

Nathalie Baudais, a member of the working group behind the project, said there are about 300 kilometres of “orphan sidewalks” in Saskatoon presently. She said not all those areas have been identified as feasible to include sidewalks yet, though they have been prioritized.

She said a map of these sidewalks was presented to the city’s Standing Policy Committee of Transportation earlier this year.

Clark was optimistic about the use of the new pathways for electric bikes and said the project will offer an alternative to traditional vehicle commuting that will benefit both the environment and residents.

Clark thanked Duguid for coming to Saskatoon and for his work supporting the city. The mayor said Saskatoon and Winnipeg are very similar.

“We’re just smaller and our river’s nicer,” Clark joked.

Construction is expected to begin next year.