Bus Rapid Transit plan divides Broadway businesses

Broadway business owners continue to be split on whether a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route should travel down their busy street.

Saskatoon city staff released several reports Wednesday, detailing five options for moving a BRT line through the Nutana neighbourhood from 8th Street connecting to the downtown core.

Four of those options include different ways of having the buses travel along Broadway Avenue, while a fifth would bypass the business district in favour of the Sid Buckwold Bridge.

Administration is recommending city council approves the Broadway route, but delay a decision on how the BRT infrastrucuture would look along the street.

One option is to have the frequent buses mixed in with traffic, but with priority at traffic-signal intersections. Another is to provide the buses with dedicated lanes along the centre median – with a bus station also in that median.

“I’m against (a BRT line), but I’m not sure we have much of a choice in the matter,” said Jana Ellis, owner of Bill’s House of Flowers.

She said if city council ultimately decides Broadway Ave. is the desired route for BRT, it would be important for several business owners to not have dedicated transit lanes.

Gerry Yakimoski, manager of the Steep Hill Food Co-op, echoed the concerns over giving exclusive access to the centre lanes over to Saskatoon Transit.

“Stream of traffic would be stopped because of deliveries,” she said, noting several businesses along Broadway lack rear access.

“Yes, (I’d be in favour) if I thought people would be taking the bus. But I’m not sure, who are the new people who would be taking the bus?”

Other business owners, like The Shoe Boutique’s Ben Quattrini, are supportive of the city’s efforts to bring more foot traffic and transit access to Broadway.

“Bringing more people to the area is a positive thing, and I think the city is working hard to find the best possible way to do that,” he said.

DeAnn Mercier, director of the Broadway BID, told 650 CKOM a survey is being circulated to businesses along the strip to gauge everyone’s reaction to the latest proposal from the city.

She said the key for many is to not have another bout of construction that would shut down Broadway to traffic.

“Broadway really went through a lot of construction headaches recently, and some businesses are still recovering from that,” she said.

“This proposal keeps the street open.”

City council will debate the BRT system at their regular business meeting on April 29.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker