VIDEO: Saskatoon city council approves bike lanes on Victoria Ave

Saskatoon’s city council gave the stamp of approval for two new dedicated bike lanes on Victoria Avenue between Taylor Street and Ruth Street on Wednesday.

During the March 25 council meeting, Mayor Cynthia Block – who is in support of the project – said work is being done in other Canadian cities to address traffic congestion.

“If we don’t have what other cities have, it is harder to keep and attract talent to our city,” she said.

Read more:

According to the city’s general manager of transportation, Jay Magus, one lane will run on each side of the road between Taylor Street and Ruth Street. On-street parking would be removed from both sides of the road and sidewalks would be added in sections where none exist.

Magus said the project “ties into the recommended protected bike lanes between Eighth Street and Taylor Street well,” and put the estimated cost at $3.6 million.

The Saskatoon Cycles board chair, Gord Holtslander, welcomed the project and said it will also provide a safe route for people walking, biking, using wheelchairs or strollers.

Holtslander said his experience riding on main roads has been mainly positive, but noted it can be problematic at times when cyclists and vehicles are sharing the same spaces. He noted a “noticeable change in attitude” in the cycling community since Natasha Fox, a Saskatoon woman, was struck and killed by a cement truck at an intersection in 2024 while riding her bike.

He explained that adding bike lanes across the city could give cyclists a greater sense of confidence and feeling of safety, especially for those who want to ride more often. New cycling corridors connecting neighborhoods to key areas in Saskatoon, he said, benefit both cyclists and drivers by easing congestion, noting he is pleased with the city’s progress on bike lanes so far.

Holtslander added that the association is pushing for the city to create east, west, north and south corridors that would be continuous and maintained year-round for cyclists.

Currently, the city has no funding source for the bike lane project for between Taylor and Ruth, and detailed designs have yet to be completed.

Holtslander said while he wants the city to follow through with the project, he is also worried about the financial impact on taxpayers. He added that cities have become increasingly responsible for issues such as homelessness and are left without sufficient funding solutions.

That’s why Holtslander said he and the association “throw our letters into the ring” to encourage other levels of government to support municipal developments.

To residents skeptical of a new bike lane project, Holtslander said “change is hard, no matter the benefits.

“I also think that sometimes we have to make sacrifices on a personal level for the better good of the city or the neighborhood,” he shared.