Norris wants to 'hit pause' on downtown bike lanes for 24 to 36 months

Saskatoon mayoral candidate Rob Norris says that if he unseats Charlie Clark as mayor in this fall's municipal election, he wants to put the brakes on planning for a beefed-up downtown bike lane network. 

"It's time to press pause on the discussion about what's going forward," Norris said Friday, adding that if he was elected, "I wouldn't envision bike lanes coming up for at least 24 to 36 months."

Norris clarified his position after tweeting twice about the contentious topic earlier in the week.

On Monday, he tweeted that after a month of talking to residents, "it's obvious this mayor and council have spent — and unfortunately continue to invest — disproportionate amounts of time on bike lanes. Bike lanes are one issue, but increasing safety, affordability and jobs are my goals."

He then doubled down on Thursday:

On Friday, Norris said there are more pressing issues going on right now, such as COVID-19 and its economic impact on Saskatoon. 

"It's not to dismiss in any way the significance of biking to Saskatoon families," he said. "Families enjoy it and it's a healthy way to get around the city. But we have some real and pressing issues."

CBC News reached out to Clark for comment. 

"Right now my attention and the community's attention is not on downtown bike lanes, it is on keeping the community safe and supporting a strong economic recovery," Clark said. 

Network under uncertain timeline already

Norris's comments come even as the plan for a downtown network is already effectively placed in park.

City council approved the locations for a network in April 2019 but called for more community consultation, placing the launch of the network under an uncertain timeline. The city had originally planned to begin expanding the network in 2021.

The bike lane network has not come back to council since then. 

Once the network locations were chosen, councillor Bev Dubois backed a successful motion to have try-out bike lanes on 4th Avenue removed — a motion supported by Clark.

• Saskatoon's 4th Avenue bike lanes to be removed by June 30, timeline for rest of downtown network uncertain

• 'It looked like we were stealing the road' and other takes on Saskatoon's arrested bike-lane development

Cathy Watts, the chairperson of the biking advocacy group Saskatoon Cycles, said she saw Norris' comments as another setback to the active transportation file.

"This is the same old sad sad story and I would say just get off that channel and get on to making this a progressive active community that attracts younger people and that's healthy and safe for everybody and for the environment," Watts said.

Watts said she's asked Norris to go on a bike ride with her ("I would like to clear his thinking on this matter," she said) but that he has not responded.