Walking the bypass highway: City, province join together for new trail

Charlottetown and the P.E.I. government are teaming up to provide an active transportation option along the bypass highway.

Phase one of the project will extend the 2.4-kilometre path that runs from Park Street, near the Hillsborough Bridge, to Murchison Lane, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, up to St. Peters Road another 3.7 kilometres.

"It'll be used for all kinds of active transportation," said Charlottetown Coun. Terry Bernard.

"Roller bladers, people on skateboards, cyclists, pedestrians."

Bernard said the city has been wanting to build the path for a long time, but could not afford the $700,000 price tag on its own. Natalie Jameson, the newly-elected MLA for the area, was able to get a commitment for the project from the province, he said.

Pent-up demand

The active transportation routes in East Royalty and Hillsborough Park get a lot of use, said Bernard, and he is sure this one will too. He sees a lot of pent-up demand for safer routes.

"When I was growing up, and I think a lot of people in our generation, we took our bikes everywhere. It was safe," said Bernard.

"Today there's a lot more traffic, the roads are four lanes in places and it's just not as safe."

There will be a lot of places along the route to connect to the trail, he said.

Future phases of the project will follow along the bypass to Mount Edward Road, where it will connect to the Confederation Trail, creating an active transportation connection to the centre of the city.

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