June 30: postscripts!
Connecting Avenue C Survey – last day!
Today (June 30, 2023) is the final day to offer your feedback on the proposed bicycle infrastructure on Avenue C from Spadina to 45th St. If you have not already responded to the City of Saskatoon’s Phase 3 survey, please do it today! Be sure to support the proposed separated bike lanes/paths that are suggested, and use the comments to encourage further protected spaces and traffic calming where possible.
Remember, city councillors hear from ALL Saskatoon citizens, and we want our voices to resonate.
Click here to fill out the Connecting Avenue C survey (Phase 3).
ParticipACTION Community Challenge – last day!
If you’ve been participating in the ParticipACTION Community Challenge, please be sure to either open your app and/or manually enter any remaining “move minutes” you’ve accumulated! Today (June 30, 2023) is the final day to add your activity, and we want to make sure we stay on top for our region!
Bike Valet – Volunteer Opportunities Saturday, July 1
We still have some volunteer openings for Canada Day and the Jazz Festival, and we’d love to have you sign up for a shift! These slick new T-shirts can only stay in a box for so long…
Come out and get some fresh air and fun! Click the links below to get involved!
Canada Day – Saturday, July 1, 2023
SaskTel Jazz Festival – Friday, June 30 – Sunday, July 9, 2023
Thank you for your letters: City Council motions passed!
On Wednesday, June 28 Saskatoon City Council approved unanimously the following motions:
- The Administration commission a third party road safety audit at the intersection of College Drive and Wiggins Avenue and report back with the results and any recommendations.
- That the 2023 operating budget transfer to the Reserve for Capital Expenditures be reduced by $30,000 and reallocated to Transportation to complete a third party road safety audit at the intersection of College Drive and Wiggins Avenue.
- That Administration provide an update on the implementation of the Active Transportation Plan, including but not limited to the status of any planned connections in the area bound by College Drive, Preston Avenue, 12th Street, and Clarence Avenue, and in the interim report on the opportunity of Rapidly Deploying safety improvements on an access to the UofS campus from the South as well as other key areas where comparable safety benefits could be expected and where planning for permanent solutions is not yet underway.
- That Administration provide a budget option for an annual Road Safety Audit program through the 2024-2025 Multi-Year Budget Process.
- An additional motion asking city administration to engage with SGI about improving the driver handbook regarding education on cycling and reporting back to City Council about any SGI plans. (Final wording not available at time of publishing.)
We’d like to thank Councilor Block for putting forward the motions, and everyone who came to speak to council, observe proceedings, and write letters of support for the motions. The range of viewpoints, ages, and experiences provided council with a compelling message that the time for change is NOW.
These motions will not bring Natasha Fox back to her family and our community, but they provide a way forward to improving the city design that could prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.
We will celebrate this small victory today but remind all of our members and beyond that progress on these issues will come only with continued vigilance and pressure on elected officials. Stay in touch with your councillor, and let them know that you see these motions as a first step. The memory of Natasha Fox, and the ongoing sacrifice of her family, demand that we hold our officials to account and demand better, safer infrastructure for all, everywhere.
