Saskatchewan Ave bike lanes and walking paths 'feel safer'

Portage la Prairie is now seeing and experiencing the new bike lanes and walking paths along Saskatchewan Ave W as they come to fruition, especially with greenery having been applied. We walked along the Avenue and caught up with some people using the new features, and asked them how they were enjoying them.

Bella Young was riding her bicycle along the northside bike lane.

"I used it twice before and they're wonderful. It's better than getting hit with cars. It makes it more enjoyable to get around. It's pretty good and you can go for a bike ride if you wanted to."

Leo Gilbert and Sabrina Skaftfeld were walking on the new sidewalks.

"Everything looks good. It looks pretty while walking on the sidewalks," says Gilbert. "It's safer and good that way. I like it. It makes a big difference. You can walk freely. It looks good. The government is ready to try, and they're doing what they're supposed to do and what the masses really need."

The MNP office complex on the Avenue shows some of the best sections of the walkways. Plenty of grass and shade exist beneath the large tree located there. Walking between 7th St NW and 6th St, near What's the Scoop, gives you a good idea of how they arranged the bike lanes while allowing parking in front of the shops. Trees are planted along the sidewalks at certain intervals.

There are places where the bike path ends on the north side and a paved walking area continues.