The City of Whitehorse is encouraging more people to ride bikes, and thus have fewer vehicles on the roads.

In tandem with those efforts, a bicycle network plan is being put to council that could help guide any decisions around cycling routes and paths.

A connection between the escarpment and the waterfront is among the highest of the priorities.

The proposed plan was pedalled to council for adoption Monday night – during Bike to Work Week.

Mélodie Simard, the city’s planning and sustainability manager, joined environmental co-ordinator Sabine Schweiger to describe the various options for cycling in the city.

The recommendations for new connections, cycling routes and so on would total up to $50 million.

However, Schweiger pointed out, many recommendations are more long-term proposals that would be incorporated into other projects such as new features on roads when they are rebuilt.

“The bicycle network plan, as a planning tool, allows incremental improvements to cycling routes to be implemented during planned roadway design, construction, reconstruction or resurfacing projects,” Schweiger said.

“An adopted plan provides the necessary documentation to assist with securing external capital funding for larger initiatives, for example, a new connection between two routes or upgrading a cycling lane to a separated cycle path.”

Under the city’s transportation demand management plan of 2014, a target of doubling cycling rates from three to six per cent by 2036 with infrastructure deemed an initial step.

“Designated cycling routes and appropriate infrastructure also increase the level of comfort for pedestrians in high-density areas, and for drivers of vehicles in areas of high traffic and speed,” Schweiger said.

“Increasing cycling rates has the potential to reduce vehicle congestion.”

The plan would assist in planning for cycling infrastructure that meets national design guidelines.

Among the options are separated, on-street paths, multi-use pathways that are shared with pedestrians and bicycle boulevards.

Painted bike lanes, it was noted, are no longer recommended.

Some proposed short-term projects could be considered as part of annual budgeting, with the possibility of funds leveraged from other sources.

“Priority projects include addressing missing linkages between existing pathways and improving safety at intersections,” Schweiger said.

“Opportunities to integrate bicycle network components into future capital retrofits are also identified in the plan.”

Options such as an easement from the Two Mile Hill area, behind the Canadian Tire and Walmart stores to the waterfront trail or an on-street feature for bicycles along Chilkoot Way to the waterfront are seen as possibilities to be looked at.

At least one resident, though, argued the city should also be focusing on a connection between the Alaska Highway, Hillcrest Drive and on to Granger.

Jean-Paul Molgat praised the plan as “something that was really needed.”

He then went on to point out the large number of cyclists who come into the downtown sector from the Copper Ridge/Granger area each day.

Molgat suggested a cycling route could be created in the area that would result in cyclists having to contend with fewer intersections and vehicle traffic. That could in turn result in more people riding their bikes to work or walking the route as they feel safer to do so.

Molgat also suggested the city allow for a period of three or four weeks so residents could have more time to review the plan before council votes on it.

Questioned later about consultation, Simard noted efforts in coming up with the plan included surveys to the general public, and direct discussions with the Urban Cycling Group and as part of the downtown and Marwell plans, which were also being worked on at the same time.

As it stands, council will vote on whether to adopt the plan next month.

Mayor Dan Curtis was absent from Monday’s meeting.