City Council cancels 18 Street Functional Planning Study

Lethbridge City Council on Tuesday voted 6-2 in favour of cancelling the proposed Capital Project 18 Street Functional Planning & Design Study (also known as the Winston Churchill to Sugar Bowl Functional Plan) and to not bring this project to the next Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget deliberations later this year.  

The 18 Street corridor, from 26 Avenue North to Scenic Drive South, which links several parks, schools and shopping areas, had been considered as a potential future bicycle boulevard. 

Public engagement ran from January 16 to February 4 through Get Involved Lethbridge, with 191 participants completing the survey. Feedback was also received at the January 29 Community Conversation event.  

“We’ve heard loud and clear from residents that this is not a priority at this time,” says Mayor Blaine Hyggen. “People took the time to share concerns, questions and perspectives, and we are acting on what we heard. Listening to our community is essential, and this decision reflects our commitment to making choices that align with public needs and expectations.” 

Survey results indicate that community sentiment is largely negative (75 per cent), driven by concerns about cost pressures, perceived lack of need or demand and fears around impacts to vehicle priority and traffic flow. Many respondents cited negative experiences with past cycling projects and expressed skepticism toward planning and engagement processes. 

A smaller share of participants (15 per cent) held neutral or mixed views, generally supporting minor improvements and emphasizing data‑driven decision‑making. Meanwhile, 10 per cent of respondents expressed positive sentiment, highlighting benefits related to safety and connectivity. 

Tuesday’s motion also directed:  

The removal of any planning, design construction and lifecycle projects from existing 2021-2026 segments of the 2022-2031 CIP cycle that contain bike lanes on the roads. 

For sections C & D of the 2027-2036 CIP budget deliberations, that no future requests for bike lanes will be considered. This excludes any bike associated projects on pathways that have been identified as a multi-use pathway. 

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