Two city politicians marked Bike to Work and School Week at a recent council meeting by urging city staff to keep local cycling routes passable and safe.
The day before Coun. Dave Loewen and Mayor Henry Braun led two public rides through the city to mark the annual cycling week, the pair noted that some biking routes through Abbotsford may not be in an ideal state.
Braun said blackberry bushes are starting to encroach on some routes, while debris can be found on others. Loewen, meanwhile, noted that residual gravel on routes frequented by transport trucks can prove hazardous to cyclists.
Peter Sparanese, the city’s general manager of engineering and regional utilities, said staff would look at the issues raised.
Loewen also raised the need for more north-to-south bike lanes. Sparanese said those and other cycling infrastructure priorities would be on the table when the city looks at creating a new Transportation Master Plan following the Official Community Plan process.