Saskatoon Council Declines to Endorse First Avenue Bus Lanes

Saskatoon city council voted 6-5 last month against a plan to place bus-only lanes on First Avenue, a decision that puts the expected June 2028 opening of the Link transit system at risk. The vote reversed earlier support from five returning councillors who had backed the lanes in 2019.

Two of those members switched their positions between committee and council meetings, while the mayor cast the lone vote in favor.

City officials said they will report back this summer on options to address concerns raised about the First Avenue route. The city's chief financial officer stated in an email that federal funding rules require the First Avenue portion to be completed in 2028, though extensions have been granted in the past when spending stays within the approved area and construction finishes by 2032.

The federal and provincial governments are scheduled to contribute $183 million toward the $262-million project. Bus-only lanes are already under construction on College Drive this summer, nearly half of the planned 85 station platforms have been built, and the city is purchasing 33 additional buses this year.

The current plan includes about 900 metres of bus-only lanes on First Avenue, if approved, plus 1.6 kilometres on College Drive. City materials describe the system as "reliable" rather than "rapid," noting that the total dedicated lanes fall short of the three kilometres typically required for bus rapid transit classification.

Plans for lanes on Broadway Avenue were previously dropped after business objections. The Link system, first adopted in 2016, envisions three color-coded routes covering 38 kilometres. Construction of remaining stations is scheduled through 2028, and the city is reviewing bids for transit signal priority software to reduce delays at intersections.