Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Active transportation refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity, and includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes and cross-country skis, and more.

Active transportation infrastructure provides many tangible benefits, creating good middle-class jobs, growing the economy, promoting healthier lifestyles, advancing equity amongst vulnerable Canadians, cutting air and noise pollution, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

Investing in safer active transportation infrastructure is key to ensuring people of all ages and abilities can access jobs and services and connect with their communities.  

These projects are identified in the City's Strategic Plan to advance the goal of expanding and maintaining an accessible and active transportation network. As part of its commitment to advance the City's Bike Plan, we made a promise to the community to engage with you during the design phase of projects. All three projects allow for connections with other projects that are already underway,  planned for the future, or link to roads rehab work to achieve cost savings. 

City staff  have reached out to the residents who live in these neighbourhoods and sessions are planned for those who live and travel in and around the areas, including schools and businesses. We are also promoting the engagement opportunities to others interested in active transportation more generally and those who use the trails. 

For a variety of reasons. 

The city has a strategic direction to be a city that moves with a goal to expand and maintain a safe and accessible active transportation network.

According to the City’s Citizen Satisfaction Survey completed in Oct. 2022, 27% of City residents rate cycling infrastructure in their top 3 capital spending preferences, an increase of 6% over 2020. 

A 2022 Youth Panel survey noted that bike lanes were ranked the most important street element among 18-30 year olds for neighbourhoods.

Where possible, the city is piggy-backing on other roads/rehab work to reduce overall cost and avoid future tear up while tapping in to existing federal/provincial cost shared agreements to reduce the costs to the city and taxpayers. 

Advancing the active transportation also supports other plan such as:

• Affordable Housing strategy (2018): Housing must be complemented by affordable transportation options to be considered truly affordable. The shared-use path projects are expanding the network of affordable transportation options for everyone.
• Resilient St John’s Community Climate Plan (2022): Strategic imperative to “improve and expand walking and cycling infrastructure.”
• National Active Transportation Strategy (2021): vision is for Canadians of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, genders, and backgrounds to be able to safely and conveniently access active transportation in their communities, and to significantly increase the ‘modal share’ of active transportation: the proportion of Canadians who regularly make the choice to use active transportation. Kelly’s Brook Trail is specifically used as an example of a project in this strategy document.
• City of St John’s adopted sustainable mode share targets in 2020. The city’s mode share targets are 16% sustainable mode share by 2030, and 22% mode share by 2050. Providing convenient, comfortable and attractive active transportation routes is necessary to advancing progress toward these targets.

Projects slated to start construction this year are in the following areas:

• Elizabeth Avenue rebuild with a new shared-use path from Paton Street to Allandale Rd 
• Kelly’s Brook Trail, a shared-use path from Columbus Drive to Kings Bridge Road
• Canada Drive rebuild with a new shared-use path from Columbus Drive to Cowan Avenue (and eventually to the Team Gushue SUP connection to Mount Pearl)
• Columbus Drive
  • shared-use path overpass connection between Wexford Street and Wishingwell Road
  • shared-use path extension from Captain Whelan Drive to Canada Drive

Check out the documents library for maps of these projects.

•  At the end of this round of seven projects, 10 km of new shared-use paths will be added to the network, building on the existing 24 km of bike routes already in place.
• Full bike network goal is 165 km
• 24 km existing bike routes (15% of full bike network) is completed.
• 3.8 km of shared-use path infrastructure to support bike plan is being constructed this year
• 12 km of shared-use path is being actively worked on now in various stages of engagement, design and construction (including 2 km of upgrades to an existing SUP)
• When these projects are constructed, 21% of the full bike network will be completed.

Shared Use Paths

• T’railway along the Waterford River from Railway Coastal Museum on Water Street, through Bowring Park to Mount Pearl - Gravel
• Along Portugal Cove Road from Airport Heights Drive to Windsor Lake - Gravel
• From Airport Heights Drive to Penney Crescent - Gravel
• Along Columbus Drive, from Captain Whelan Drive to Wishingwell Road - Paved
• Along Prince Philip Drive, from Wexford Street to Westerland Road - Paved
• Along Captain Whelan Drive from Columbus Drive to Blackmarsh Road- Paved
• Throughout the Galway development - Paved

Current Streets with bike lanes are:

• Airport Heights Drive (Parkers Pond Road to Elderberry Place)
• Munday Pond Road (Columbus Drive to Cashin Avenue/Cambell Ave)
• Viscount Street (Airport Heights Drive to SUP at Portugal Cove Rd)
• Canada Drive (Hamlyn Road to Cowan Avenue)
• Cowan Avenue (Frecker Drive to Topsail Road)
• Cashin Avenue Extension (Mundy Pond Road to Blackmarsh Road

Pathways with a smooth surface such as asphalt or concrete better serve those with accessibility needs. Paved shared-use paths are designed to be accessible for people of all ages and abilities. They are wheelchair-friendly, stroller-friendly, and provide a safer and smoother surface for all users, regardless of their mobility or physical limitations. People out for a stroll, walking the dog, jogging or doing other activities benefit from the improved trail surface and better drainage.

Improved Physical Health: Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Active transportation is an easy way to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine.

Environmental Benefits: Active transportation produces zero emissions, which means it's environmentally friendly and reduces pollution. By using active transportation, you are also reducing traffic congestion, which contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Improved Mental Health: Active transportation can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase overall feelings of well-being. Being outdoors and getting fresh air and sunshine can also help improve mental health.

Cost Savings: Active transportation can save you money on gas, maintenance, and parking. Additionally, investing in active transportation infrastructure can be a cost-effective way for cities to reduce traffic congestion and improve public health.

Community Building: Active transportation can help build stronger communities by promoting social interaction and reducing social isolation. It can also help create more walkable, bikeable, and livable neighborhoods.

Shared-use paths can be used for both recreation and commuting. They provide a space separate from motor vehicle traffic and can be used by all active transportation modes, enabling people to get around the city by walking, cycling, scooting, strolling, wheeling or rolling. 

 General rules for using a shared use path include:

• Keep to the right, pass on the left. 
• Be mindful of your speed and yield to people who are traveling at a slower pace. 
• Use your voice or a bell to let people know before passing them from behind.

Share use Path alignment is optimized to minimize removal of mature trees. New trees will be planted in areas where tree removals cannot be avoided. Trees and shrubs will be removed in some areas to facilitate the construction. The city’s Municipal Arborist is being consulted regarding detailed trail design and impact on trees. A detailed tree inventory, tree protection plan and landscaping plan is done as part of design.

The focus of 2023 shared-use path public engagement is to gather feedback about shared-use path alignment. Routes are outlined in the bike master plan. However, there are some areas where we have multiple options for the trail route and we are exploring these options in consultation with residents and SUP users. Each section of trail is unique, and we encourage residents to attend one of our sessions so or reach out if they need more information.

Although the City had hoped to tender Phase 1 of construction last spring, realignments and modifications to the project (resulting from the extensive public engagement process) and increased market costs for construction changed the scope and value of this project. Due to the increase in the estimated costs for, the City had to secure additional funding which was announced earlier this year.

The design package is nearly complete and construction on the first phase will begin this year. Given the size and scope of this project, there are several years of construction before the project is fully complete. Some sections of the SUP will require additional consultation with the community.