Edmonton councillor addresses 105th Avenue sidewalk, bike lane complaints

Complaints of missing sidewalks and vehicles parking in bike lanes have Edmonton city councillor Scott McKeen raising concerns about the pace of revitalization along 105th Avenue.

McKeen said Tuesday that plans to create a walkable urban stretch along 105th Avenue between 109thStreet and 119th Street have been "slow-going," in part due to other large projects such as the downtown arena, Rogers Place.

But he said residents have since moved into a number of new buildings and want to be able to walk in their community.

"There are places where there are no sidewalks," McKeen said.

"I think there's a duty on the city to make sure people are safe when they're walking from place toplace."

McKeen asked city administration for an update of the 105th Avenue Corridor (Columbia Avenue) Streetscape project. Columbia Avenue is the historic name for 105th Avenue.

He said anotherproblem is driverson the avenue parking in painted bike lanes between 116thStreet and 119thStreet.

"As a city, as a community, we should have learned our lesson about painted bike lanes they don't work, for a number of reasons," he said.

"They don't offer any real sense of safety for cyclists. and in situations like this you have the inevitable conflict of somebody parking their car there."

McKeen said the city should instead be considering the use of concrete curbs or planters to better mark bike lanes.