Separated bike lanes win support at Saskatoon city council

Saskatoon city council heardaplea Monday nightto install segregatedbike lanes on two downtown thoroughfares.

Sean Shaw arrived at council, armedwith a petition with signatures from more than 1,900 people. They're urging council to install "Copenhagen-style" bike lanes along 4th Avenue and 24thStreet.

Currently, those streets include painted lanes for bicycles, located directly next to parked cars.

The lanes would be separated from traffic, running between parked vehiclesand the sidewalk. Better Bikes Lanes is urging the city to allow enough of a buffer space to allow cyclists to pass unharmed even ifmotorists open a car door.

"Unfortunately it's occurred to someone in our city," Shaw told council. "They were doored and sustained an injury that took over a year to correct."

"They were very lucky that they didn't go into the traffic beside them and they at least survived that collision."

Council and the mayor welcomed the idea of testing segregated bike lanes, and asked administrators to report back by April.

Replay the Saskatoon Morning live chat about the separated bike lane trial.