The City of Edmonton has presented five new options for bike lanes along Victoria Promenade in Wîhkwêntôwin as part of its renewal program for the neighbourhood.
The lanes on the picturesque street, which overlooks the river valley, have been contentious at some points in the past.
In July 2022, the city removed 20 on-street parking stalls along 100 Avenue to install two, one-way bike lanes that were protected from vehicles. Some area residents signed a petition to encourage the city to remove the lanes. That December, city crews changed the temporarily-modified bike lanes back to the previous configuration, as the modification "did not meet the needs of a cross-section of community members." Since then, cyclists traveling eastbound on the south side of the street have a protected bike, while cyclists traveling westbound must now share vehicle lanes with drivers.
The city has presented its five options for bike lanes along 100 Avenue, between 117 Street NW and 121 Street NW, and is asking residents to share feedback until Dec. 13.
Some options involve a two-way protected bike lane on the south side of the roadway. This design would require a cyclist to transition across vehicle traffic at 121 Street NW, where the bike lane would switch from two-way to one-way. The city previously said a two-way bike lane was not possible due to physical constraints and safety. One of the options with a two-way bike lane involves removing about half of the vehicle parking along the street to widen the pedestrian promenade.
The other options involve one-way bike lanes on each side of the roadway. This design would mean cyclists don't have to transition across traffic at 121 Street NW. One-way bike lanes would result in a reduction in vehicle parking. One option involves a 50% reduction and the other has no parking at all.
The city said each design option will require it to remove all trees from the south side of the roadway. Replacement trees would be planted where feasible, the city said.
The changes to Victoria Promenade and 100 Avenue are just one part of Wîhkwêntôwin's neighbourhood renewal, which will involve rehabilitating or replacing asphalt, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, and improving the transportation system for people walking, biking, and driving. This is the second phase of public feedback for the neighbourhood's renewal. The first phase of feedback that took place in the summer shows the city may install traffic-calming measures, add new protected bike lanes, and close streets to vehicle drivers to create parklets.
This phase of public feedback also shows the city's plan to remedy a missing link in the neighbourhood's bike network. The documents present several options for a protected bike lane that would connect the protected Victoria Promenade bike lane down the eastern part of 100 Avenue, all the way to 109 Street, where the protected lane begins again.
Victoria Promenade in Wîhkwêntôwin, pictured here in December 2024, currently has one protected bike lane for eastbound cyclists while westbound cyclists share the vehicle lane with drivers. (Stephanie Swensrude)
The city may convert that part of 100 Avenue to one-way eastbound flow for vehicle drivers between 115 Street and 109 Street, according to the renewal plans. All design options involve removing some trees. In some options, most trees along the north side of the roadway would be removed. Replacement trees would be planted where feasible, the city said.
The documents also outline planned changes to 111 Street, 103 Avenue, and 103A Avenue in Wîhkwêntôwin. The online survey is open until Dec. 13, and the city is holding a drop-in event at Holy Child School, at 9844 110 Street NW, on Dec. 7.
City administration aims to release final design plans in 2026.