York Region hosting online meeting on bike lanes for Prospect, Bayview in Newmarket

Region, town want to hear from you at public information centre Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Newmarkettoday.ca
Feb. 14, 2022
Joseph Quigley

Newmarket and York Region are preparing to make Prospect Street and Bayview Avenue more bike-friendly and want to hear from you.

The municipalities are holding a virtual public information centre Feb. 16 to discuss ideas for adding bike lanes and other measures to promote safer cycling along Prospect and Bayview from Mulock Drive to Timothy Street.

Cycle Newmarket’s Todd Kyle welcomed the session and said there is a definite need for the lanes.

“We’ve been complaining for about a year about the situation,” he said, noting the region painted new lines on the roadways over the summer to slow traffic without adding bike lanes. “We hope that there’s a plan going forward that we can support.”

The municipalities will present options such as installing sharrows, bike lanes and signage for safe cycling. They are also considering removing on-street parking as they come up with a final plan.

“We are committed to ensuring safe options for all travellers to walk, roll or ride,” the region said on its website. “This is in alignment with one of the key objectives of the 2016 York Region Transportation Master Plan; integrating active transportation in urban areas.”

Although on-street parking has conflicted with bike lanes elsewhere in town, Kyle said he does not see that as a likely issue in this area, given the narrow sections of the road already lack that option.

He said biking options here are another step toward creating a proper network in town.

“Our position has always been in order to encourage on-street cycling, you needed a network rather than sort of a disjointed street here and there,” Kyle said.

Newmarket and York Region hope to receive feedback at the session, which will be considered before changes are implemented in the summer.

The meeting will begin Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. You can register through the York Region website.