Anyone over a certain age remembers walking miles in snowstorms to get to school.Now the City of Edmonton wants students to ride their bikes.That’s because schools in Edmonton have been given School Bike Parking Grant (SBPG) to encourage active transportation. While nine schools were funded by the SBPG, the City of Edmonton said they represent a diverse range of locations across the city and include the Edmonton Catholic School District and Edmonton Public School Board. “The grant will help increase secure bike parking solutions to help students cycling to and from school,” said City of Edmonton Director of Traffic Operations Shewkar Ibrahim in a Wednesday press release. “Improved bike parking options at schools makes active transportation options possible for students and families.” The schools that received the SBPG were Athlone School, Balwin School, JJ Bowlen Catholic Junior High School, Lillian Osborne High School, Lorelei School, ME LaZerte High School, Spruce Avenue School, St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School, and St. Lucy Catholic Elementary School. It launched earlier this year to encourage and facilitate students’ and families’ commutes to and from schools. The City of Edmonton said it supports schools to build secure, reliable bike parking that makes active transportation options more convenient.It said grant funding requests were between $500 to $15,000 with a total of $75,000 awarded. Thirty-nine schools applied, and an evaluation matrix was used to assess the applications. The matrix considered criteria such as the proportion of students within a two to three kilometre radius of the school, proximity and connectivity to the active transportation network, demonstrated need for the grant, and plans to promote active travel and integrate cycling into school programs. The SBPG supports the City Plan’s goal of making 50% of trips completed by public transit and active transportation. The City of Edmonton said increasing bike parking is one way it is supporting this goal.As part of the funding agreement, it said grant recipients will report project outcomes to it, which allows it to evaluate the impact this approach has on supporting sustainable and active transportation. The irony is that a former Edmonton councillor’s photo of a snowy city road right next to a clear bike lane set social media alight in 2020. READ MORE: Plowed bike lane leads to outrage in Edmonton“In Edmonton, a bike lane receives priority snow removal,” said former Edmonton city councillor Mike Nickel. “How do you feel about this?”
