Construction along the main drag in downtown Windsor, also known as Ouellette Avenue, is set to begin this summer.
Windsor city council has approved a $5.6-million plan to reduce the roadway from four to two lanes while enhancing the streetscape, but not everyone is happy with the plan.
The plan will not introduce bike lanes and that has cycling enthusiasts disappointed.
From Wyandotte Street up two blocks to Elliott, the four lanes will be reduced to two, but bike lanes will remain absent.
Residents are divided, saying improvements are needed, but bike lanes are too.
The goal is to create space for parking, pedestrians, public art, patios, trees and bus stops.
Bike lanes would have taken up 10 feet of space,with no connections north or south of the two blocks.
Lori Newton of Bike Windsor-Essex points across the border to the motor city, saying revitalization plans in Detroit include all forms of transportation.
“For Windsor to say on our big wide streets that we don't have room for cycling infrastructure, I think not," says Newton.
Despite the lack of cycling infrastructure, Newton feels it's a good plan for the city.
“It's a shame, but it is a good plan and I think the dialogue that we heard in council tonight was really interesting."
Councillor Rino Bortolin voted in favour of the project.
“We're moving forward the best we can with the best possible solution in front of us," he says.
Shovels should hit the ground in August, with work complete by 2018.
