City's transportation plan needs 'priority' bike routes, says Coalition

As city staff gets ready to present council with its Transportation Master Plan, one Sudburyadvocacy group is hoping tostrengthen the document and capitalize on funding opportunities for cycling paths.

The transportation master plan is an update from a2005 study and focuses on a sustainable transportation network for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists along with projected needs up until the year 2031.

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The Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, one of the city's biggest advocates for pedestrian and bike-friendly routes, said it was generally pleased with the 200-plus page document, but still offered up some slight tweaks.

So far, said Coalition chair Naomi Grant, the plan misses the mark on priority routes for cyclists.

"Currently [bike routes] aren't the first priority," Grant said, "those aren't for the short term goals in the plan and we would really like to see them put as short term goals, put as the highest priority, designated as safe and separated from traffic."

Grant said if the city added priority cycling routes to its transportation plan it could apply for provincial funding for those projects.

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Coalition also wants the proposed road through Laurentian University to be removed from the plan to help preserve the trail system

The Coalition is holding public information sessions Dec. 7 to provide an overview of what's in the draft plan.