Originally published in the Peterborough Examiner
Peterborough will aim to build 80 kilometres of new cycling lanes and trails over the next 20 years in addition to the 76 km that already exist today, city councillors have decided.
Yet at a virtual committee meeting on Monday, the mayor and some councillors advocated for 160 km of new lanes built.
That plan lost 6-5; councillors later agreed to the original plan to add 80 km of bike lanes and trails by 2041.
Mayor Diane Therrien, Coun. Stephen Wright, Coun. Don Vassiliadis, Coun. Kemi Akapo and Coun. Kim Zippel had voted for the heftier increase in bike lanes.
The 80 km of bike lanes are expected to cost between $1.2 million and $1.5 million annually over the next 20 years, whereas 160 km of lanes would cost between $2.4 and $2.9 million annually.