P.E.I. putting in almost 30 kilometres of new cycling lanes

Two new projects will make it easier and safer for cyclists and pedestrians to travel through different parts of Prince Edward Island.

A 3.1-kilometre active transportation corridor will be placed along Route 13 in Brookvale, and a total of about 25.9 kilometres of paved shoulders will be added to Route 20 in Kensington, Route 17 in Lower Montague and Route 15 in Brackley.

That adds up to 29 kilometres of new trails.

The projects announced Wednesday will cost about $7 million, split between the federal and provincial governments.

Cynthia King, president of Cycling P.E.I. and an owner of businesses that cater to cyclists, said adding the paved shoulders will make the roads safer, on top of an existing requirement that vehicles keep a one-metre distance away from bikes they are passing.

"We need the space," she said. "When there isn't a shoulder, cars have to swerve to go around because we do have our one-metre rule here, and most people are good to abide by that. However with the shoulder, this just helps immensely… and not just cyclists but people walking."

King said more people on P.E.I. have taken up cycling, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were looking for outdoor activities. She said the cost of adding a paved shoulder, and including it in future paving projects, is worth it.

In the big picture, it's good for people's health and good for the environment.— Cynthia King

"In the big picture, it's good for people's health and good for the environment."

The work on Route 20 includes adding 1.2 metres of shoulder to each side of the road for a distance of 11 kilometres between Kensington and Malpeque.

The work on Route 17, which connects Montague to Panmure Island, adds 1.2-metre shoulders to each side of the road for 3.9 kilometres.

Work on Route 15, which provides a direct route from Charlottetown to P.E.I. National Park, includes adding 1.2-metre shoulders to each side of the road for 11 kilometres, with the ability to connect to the existing active transportation trail.

Heath MacDonald, the MP for Malpeque, said the infrastructure projects are part of building a pathway to a greener environment.

"You're seeing different types of bikes that are being on the road," he said. "You're looking at EV bikes, you're looking at scooters, you're looking at all sorts of things that are not your traditional, normal cars or automobiles."