Newmarket drivers will soon share the road more with cyclists along Bayview Avenue and Prospect Street.
York Region and the Town of Newmarket presented their plans at a Feb. 16 public information centre to install bike lanes on the wider sections of the roads, and use sharrows on the narrower portions. The sharrows would designate that bikers could ride the centre of the road itself, single-file with cars.
Peggy Stevens of Cycle Newmarket said she likes the recommended option and that the region is putting something on that stretch of road.
"I am also happy that the region recognizes that it is safer for cyclists to have painted lanes than nothing at all,” Stevens said.
The region resurfaced the stretch of the road last summer, but did not install lanes at that time. The plan is for lines to be painted there this summer, with accompanying signage installed.
The recommended option presented by staff includes bike lanes on Bayview from Mulock Court to 1st Street and then sharrows from 1st Street to Timothy Street along Prospect, which would remove the on-street parking on Bayview near Pickering College. An alternative option was also presented, to maintain that parking option on Bayview, using sharrows along the entirety of the road stretch instead.
Staff said there were some comments concerning the loss of parking, particularly during soccer tournaments near the college, but development and infrastructure services commissioner Peter Noehammer said there are alternatives.
“There are some parking opportunities on some of the streets parallel and adjacent to Prospect and Bayview,” Noehammer said, adding the Fairy Lake area is also an option.
Others questioned why the lanes were not stretching beyond the allotted roads. York transportation development planning manager John Kazilis said this project is limited to where roads were recently resurfaced.
“We will continue to review opportunities for bike infrastructure (and) cycling infrastructure throughout Newmarket going forward," he said.
The region does not plan to change speed limits there, currently set at 50 kilometres per hour with a 40 km/h area during school hours at the college. But Kazilis said that would be monitored after the lines are painted.
“There is an opportunity for us to continue to review speed limits in the area within the stretch, to continue to ensure safety,” he said. “Particularly in the area where we’re instituting the sharrows.”
The region is taking feedback on the project until March 2. You can find more information on its website and submit comments, including through an interactive map.
Stevens said she looks forward to future extensions of bike infrastructure south to St. John's Sideroad and north to Davis Drive but added, “This project is a good start.”
