Saskatoon city council has settled on a design for the downtown leg of its planned bus rapid transit (BRT) system, voting 6-4 on Wednesday to proceed with the route recommended by city administration for the First Avenue corridor.
The vote followed presentations on three possible designs for the corridor. Councillors Robert Pearce, Troy Davies, Scott Ford and Zach Jeffries voted against the chosen plan, known as Option 1.
Ellen McLaughlin, a transportation engineer with CIMA+, walked council through the three alternatives. Option 1, similar to a design presented to council earlier this year, would result in the loss of 59 parking spots along the corridor. Option 2 kept much of the same layout but preserved parking spaces that double as a loading zone for the Capitol Music Club, following discussions between the city and the business. Option 3 did not include a fully continuous, dedicated bus lane along the entire corridor.
McLaughlin told council that First Avenue typically carries about 1,000 vehicles during peak hours, which she described as a relatively low volume. She said Option 3 would slow down the transit system and create longer driving times, even though it would preserve 68 more parking spots than the other two options. She also noted that design elements in Option 3 were projected to increase the risk of side-swipe and rear-end collisions because of inconsistent lane patterns and a greater likelihood of last-minute lane changes.
Parking and Business Concerns
Dan Willems, the city’s director of technical services, outlined winter maintenance plans for the corridor once the BRT system is running, describing crews clearing sidewalks and transit platforms after snowfall before addressing the roadway. Council heard that clearing snow lanes during an active snowfall would not be especially effective, and that neighbourhoods farther from the downtown core tend to be more affected by blowing snow.
Terry Schmidt, the city’s general manager of transportation and construction, told council that multiple parking studies have found downtown parking capacity to be adequate to meet demand even with some spaces removed for the BRT project. Jay Magus, the city’s director of transportation, added that while drivers might not always be able to park directly in front of their destination, they would still be able to find parking somewhere in the surrounding downtown area.
Council also discussed whether altering the transit design could affect provincial and federal funding already secured for the project, along with questions about transit safety, the extent of public consultation completed so far, and how the planned Downtown Event and Entertainment District might affect travel times for commuters.
Public Input on the Three Options
Several speakers addressed council before the vote. Bruno Bartel, representing Midtown Plaza, spoke in favour of Option 1 and the dedicated bus lanes it includes. Curt McCoshen of Bus Riders of Saskatoon said his organization wants transit improvements made without further delay, describing the city’s current bus system as inadequate, and voiced support for either Option 1 or Option 2 while opposing Option 3.
Sherry and Cary Tarasoff raised broader concerns about the rapid transit system, saying questions remain about how it would operate. Keith Moen, executive director of the North Saskatoon Business Association, and Shawna Nelson, executive director of DNTN Saskatoon, said their organizations had hired an engineering firm to review the public information on the BRT proposal and came away supporting a blend of Options 2 and 3 as the best outcome for businesses along and around the corridor.
During council’s discussion, Magus said he was fully confident that Option 1 would work as intended.
First Avenue BRT Corridor: Key Figures
Council’s Decision
All councillors thanked city administration for the depth of information provided ahead of the vote. Mayor Cynthia Block called it one of the most thoroughly examined items she has seen in a decade on council, saying the decision would set the template for how the city’s modern transit network functions going forward.
Block said she was particularly swayed by concerns McLaughlin raised about driver confusion where the corridor’s lane configuration would change direction, which she said posed safety risks to pedestrians. She said the preferences of local businesses, including Midtown Plaza, factored into her support for Option 1.
This article references reporting from:
