Plan to roll out over several years
By Jack Wilson
Local Journalism Initiative
The City of Magog released its active transportation plan on May 2, proposing over 41 kilometres of new bike lanes, 14 kilometres of new walkways and improvements to existing walking and biking infrastructure.
Magog mayor Nathalie Pelletier said the long-term plan will make biking and walking “safer, more efficient, more inclusive and more enjoyable.” This year, Pelletier said the City would install two 2 km of bike lanes along Southière Road and 2.5 km of bike lanes along St-Patrice Street East. Bike lanes on both roads will be protected by bollards, she said.
“If we make bike lanes safer, we think people will use them more,” Pelletier said.
The planned bike lanes are the result of almost a year of consultations, which gathered feedback from over 1,100 residents, said Jules Morin, the engineer who led the project. “Many people said they’d bike more often if we had better biking infrastructure,” he said. “In the future, we’re looking to develop the city so that everyone can get around without a car.”
Morin said the plan aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve safety and offer alternatives to driving. “Not every is able to drive,” he said, including younger people and those with disabilities.
