Promote connections between…

Promote connections between neighbourhoods, between urban and suburban areas and between cities and counties. Encourage and foster co-operation. Develop consistent infrastructure, signage and markings throughout the province. Focus on convenience. Cycling has inherent risks. Risks cannot be eliminated. People will cycle where it’s convenient, efficient and necessary not always where it’s the most safe. Try and make routes cyclists use more safe rather than trying to make them go out of there way because it’s somehow deemed to be the most safe way to go. This will not encourage more cyclists.

Greater emphasis must be placed on developing important connecting links and filling in gaps in existing cycling networks.
In the Windsor area this includes railway crossings either over, under or around. A good local example is the crossing on Howard Avenue near South Cameron
(42.271337, -83.003511)
The provincial government should assist municipalities in dealing with railways that fall under Federal jurisdiction to ensure cycling lanes and paths do not end at railway crossings.

Former railway lines are being converted to recreational paths but not only by municipalities. In the Windsor Essex area this is being done by the Essex Region Conservation Authority. Such authorities should be assisted as well in developing connecting links to existing and future municipal cycling trails. Recently improvements to Provincial Highway 3 cut off the Chrysler Canada Greenway without any provisions being made for a crossing at this location (42.271337, -83.003511). Cyclists wanting to cross the highway have been riding through a ditch for the past three years.

The Herb Gray Parkway (a billion dollar project) was recently completed by the Federal and Provincial governments and includes several kilometres of beautiful trails. Unfortunately it appears little attention was given to how these trails would connect to those in the City of Windsor. In this location on Cousineau Road the existing bicycling lane ends approximately 50 m. away from the Parkway pathway.

The Herb Gray Parkway is planned to be connected to the Gordie Howe Bridge linking Canada to the United States. There currently is no way to ride a bicycle or use public transportation to transport a bicycle across the international border between Windsor and Detroit. It is imperative that the new bridge include cycling lanes for this purpose.

The three latter examples directly involve the Provincial Government. While I appreciate that these are very local examples I am certain that similar situations exist throughout the province. For cycling commuters such as myself they are irritants and a constant reminder of poor planning and lack of foresight. For those considering cycling for transportation they are a major discouragement.

Provincial policy should require that all County Roads include cycling lanes.

Policy should also require that intersections provide some protection to cyclists and direction to motorists with clear, distinctive markings, signs, and bike boxes where appropriate.

Bicycle parking should be installed in government-owned, publicly accessible facilities especially at schools, and also at hospitals, public housing, libraries, city halls, community centres, community swimming pools, museums, art galleries, arenas, and parks. Simple O-Ring type racks are sufficient.

[Original Comment ID: 202977]