An international research team, led by the University of Saskatchewan, has set a goal of understanding how cities of all sizes in all countries can most efficiently implement and build sustainable transportation infrastructure.

The kind of infrastructure they are looking at includes bike lanes, bus rapid transit and road safety projects.

Just this week Saskatoon City Council directed Administration, upon deciding the Midtown Plaza parking lot was the best choice for a downtown arena/event centre, that the project coming to fruition was dependent on implementing bus rapid transit.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research announced the $3 million Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team award today.

The funding is part of a total $27 million commitment and is directed at supporting interdisciplinary teams.

Project co-leader Dr. Daniel Fuller says, “Climate change, health, and sustainability all hinge on a rapid transition to sustainable transportation.”

The project will involve multiple research approaches, including analyzing municipal policy documents and plans, interviewing elected officials and city staff, and collecting survey data from citizens in each city.

Fuller says they are working closely with researchers and city staff from Halifax, Montréal, Kingston, Guelph, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary, Surrey, Victoria, and Melbourne, Australia.

Approximately $700,000 dollars will fund research at USask over the next six years, to be used for training programs, funding for graduate students, summer institutes, and international experiences for students and researchers to learn from international cities.