Sault Ste. Marie is currently redesigning East Street, reducing the road's width to make room for expanded sidewalks and bicycle lanes. This infrastructure shift has drawn criticism from locals who believe the changes compromise the efficiency of the Sault Loops bus system.
The shift from 13 metres to 8 metres of roadway
The physical footprint of East Street is undergoing a significant reduction to prioritize non-vehicular traffic.. According to SooToday, Maggie McAuley, the manager of Design and Transportation Engineering, stated that the road width is being reduced from approximately 13 metres, which previously included parking lanes, to just 8 metres.
This reduction is part of a broader urban planning trend known as a "road diet," where cities intentionally narrow car lanes to slow traffic and reclaim space for pedestrians. By shrinking the asphalt, Sault Ste. Marie aims to incorporate streetscaping enhancements and boulevard areas that provide more benches and improved accessibility for those with mobility issues.
Patricia Lambert's concerns over Sault Loops accessibility
The infrastructure changes have coincided with a controversial overhaul of the city's transit system.. Patricia Lambert, a retried schoolteacher and transit critic, argues that the new Sault Loops bus routes have created significant hurdles for residents living in apartments on East Street. As reported by SooToday, Lambert notes that passengers who once had direct access to Station Mall must now navigate a more complex journey involving a walk to a different stop and a transfer at the Dennis Street bus terminal.
Lambert's critique suggests a disconnect between the city's physical street design and its transit utility. She contends that the narrower East Street will make it increasingly difficult for transit and school buses to navigate the necessary turns to service the area, effectively isolating residents who rely on public transportation.
Eliminating turn lanes at the Queen and East intersection
A critical point of contention in the redesign is the removal of dedicated turning infrastructure. At the intersection of Queen Street and East Street, the city is eliminating the northbound left-turn lane as well as the westbound right and left-turn lanes.
The removal of these lanes represents a fundamental shift in how traffic is managed at this junction. while the city maintains that the reconstructed roadway will still accommodate service and emergency vehicles, the loss of dedicated turning lanes often leads to increased congestion and potential bottlenecks during peak hours,adding to the concerns raised by local critics.
Integrating two 1.8-metre bicycle tracks for safety
To compensate for the loss of road width, Sault Ste. Marie is installing two 1.8-metre-wide bicycle tracks. These tracks are designed to be completely separated from road traffic, providing a protected corridor for cyclists that diffres from standard painted bike lanes.
Robin Miners, the manager of Transit, has defended the project by stating that Sault Transit vehicle turning and route planning requirements were fully integrated into the design process. The city's position is that the trade-off—trading car lanes for protected cycling and walking paths—ultimately creates a safer environment for all users of East Street.
The timing of transit route optimization
A central point of uncertainty remains regarding whhether the physical narrowing of East Street influenced the decision to cut bus services. While Maggie McAuley explicitly denied that the roadway narrowing was driven by recent transit route optimization, Patricia Lambert continues to question if the design was finalized before or after the Sault Loops changes were implemented.
Beyond the timing, it remains unclear how the city will measure the success of these changes once the full closure of Queen Street East at East Street occurs later this month. Specifically, the city has not provided data on how the elimination of turn lanes will impact emergency response times or whether the Sault Loops route will be adjusted if bus drivers find the 8-metre width impractical for navigation.
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