Streetscape Master Plan
Despite concerns from the Riversdale Business Improvement District, the City of Saskatoon is going ahead with the Streetscape Master Plan in the areas of Avenue B South, Avenue D South and 21st Street West.
Director of Planning and Development Leslie Anderson says improvements would include upgraded crosswalks and sidewalks, street trees, and a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.
“We do see a loss of some of the parking stalls in order to provide bulb-outs at the corner where it provides additional space for pedestrians and reduces the crossing distance for pedestrians, and also a couple of mid-block bump-outs that provide additional public space.”
Up to 26 parking stalls are at stake. Executive Director of the Riversdale BID Randy Pshebylo submitted a letter to council opposing the loss of parking in an area that already struggles to provide enough, as well as the implementation of benches in the area, as they have been known to have negative impacts to businesses in other locations.
Councilor Senos Timon attempted to defer the decision to allow for more time to engage with the Riversdale BID. Seven council members opposed, and the deferral motion was defeated. The motion to proceed with the Streetscape Master Plan carried unanimously. The streetscape improvement work is estimated to cost $4.195 million and will be funded by Capital Project P.02162 – Urban Design – BIDS. The work is expected to be completed over the 2026 and 2027 construction seasons.
Bus Rapid Transit System on College
Saskatoon City Council has once again deferred the approval of changes to the Bus Rapid Transit system slated for construction on College Drive.
At the last Council meeting in May, Councilor Zach Jeffries suggested that the College Drive aspect of the project be put on pause for one more month to allow administration to answer a few questions regarding land acquisition, space for lane queuing, and alterations to the intersection of College and Preston.
Jeffries received the answers he was looking for, but several other council members posed additional questions regarding the at-grade crosswalk that is expected to replace the pedestrian overpass, the cost to make the existing overpass accessible, impacts to traffic, and forecast pedestrian traffic flow. Transportation Director Terry Schmidt says administration can report back.
“This would be looking at the feasibility of retrofitting the existing overpass to meet accessibility requirements and the cost of doing that, and if it’s even feasible to do that in the configuration and the space we have to work with,” Schmidt says.
The suggestion to defer was passed with a vote of 8 to 2, and the requested information will be brought back to Council at the July meeting.
23rd Street Bike Lane
City Council has voted in favour of removing the 23rd Street protected bike lane demonstration project this summer and restoring the street to its previous condition.
Saskatoon Administration says the bike lane, implemented in 2015, is now at the end of its useful life and is in need of repair. Concerns include missing or damaged delineator posts, faded signs, and faded pavement markings resulting in a lack of safety.
Administration recommended that semi-permanent materials be installed to maintain the bike lane until the eventual construction of the 23rd Street Greenway, however several members of Council decided against that, including Mayor Cynthia Block.
“It seems to me that it would not be money well spent to maintain the current project, and that we should instead remove it and look forward to seeing what the new concept would look like as we grow into a city that’s more connected for active transportation,” she explains. The total cost estimate for the removal of the pilot project is $15,000. Adequate funds are available through the Active Transportation Implementation Plan.
Just councilors Jasmine Parker and Scott Ford voted in favour of keeping the bike lane, but they were outnumbered. What was approved, however, is that work continues on implementing All Ages and Accessibilities bike lane infrastructure on 19th Street from Avenue A to 3rd Avenue as well as 3rd Avenue from 19th Street to 25th Street.
