Cycling strategy proposed for Calgary

Cityadminstratorsunveiled a new multi-million dollar strategy on Friday aimed at getting more Calgarians to ride bicycles.

The three-year plan would see the city invest in new cycling infrastructure, including more dedicated bike routes in the downtown core and elsewhere, better routes leading to LRT stations, more facilities for locking bicycles, a bike-share programand wider pathways.

One of the strategy's goals is to double the number of Calgarians who commute into the core by 2020.

About $10 million of the proposedplan's $28 million capital costs have already been budgeted for, according to the document.

"The City has a vision to become one of the premier cycling cities of North America," thedocument says.

However the strategy notes the number of riders who commute into the downtown core has remained roughly consistent for the past decade, at about 9,200 per weekday.

Getting cyclists and potential cyclists to feel more confident that they will be safe riding on Calgary streets was identified as a key goalin the cycling strategy.

In a telephone survey conducted last fall for the city, 19 per cent said they ride a bicycle once a week.However 59 per cent said they wanted to ride more frequently, but cited safety concerns as the main deterrent.

The proposed strategy will be debated by the land use, planning and transportation committee on June 21.