Two stretches of road atop Edmonton’s river valley will block off lanes to vehicles to give more space for walkers, joggers and cyclists seeking fresh air.
“We know it’s important for Edmontonians to get outside during this time and these adjustments will help them do that while maintaining safe physical distance,” Darryl Mullen, the city’s acting director of traffic operations, said in a news release on Wednesday.
On the north side of the North Saskatchewan River, the Victoria Promenade bike lane will be expanded into a shared-use space. The stretch is located along 100th Avenue, between 116 and 121 streets.
On the south side, traffic will be reduced to a single lane along Saskatchewan Drive, between 105th and 109th Streets, leaving the other lane open for people who are walking and biking.
Public health officials in Alberta have urged people to get out and exercise and enjoy the fresh air without breaking the physical distancing advice urging two metres of space between individuals.
Similar measures have already been taken in Calgary.
The warm, sunny weekend of March 21 and 22, one of the first weekends in which physical distancing was being encouraged, raised concerns from city and provincial officials as people crowded into pathways, parks and picnic areas.
The news release said the city will remove snow and sweep the lanes before opening them to public use. It also reminds people to maintain a safe distance from others, with suggestions such as passing in a single file or stepping aside to allow others to go by.
In a separate initiative, the city will also automate the pedestrian signals on the traffic controls at 56 intersections.
The change means people waiting to cross will not have to push the button to activate the pedestrian walk light. The button will still activate the audible signal for visually impaired people.