I was disappointed by…

I was disappointed by Minister Sarkaria’s comments regarding the O’Connor bikeway in Ottawa. Minister Sarkaria used the O’Connor bikeway as an example of a project where traffic lanes were needlessly removed from a key arterial. I strongly disagree with his statement because O’Connor is an important transportation link for the community. Arterial roads are dangerous to cyclists because of high vehicle speeds and volumes and these roads are where protection for cyclists is needed most. Almost all north/south roads in downtown Ottawa are designated as arterials by the municipality and it is therefore not practical to give cyclists a safe, direct route without removing traffic lanes from an arterial. O’Connor is only one example of a similar situation in many Ottawa neighbourhoods - there is no direct and efficient route other than an arterial road due to barriers like water, train tracks, or highways.

As financial pressures on the city of Ottawa, its residents, and its public transportation system increase, I believe it is important to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient way for residents to navigate their city. Cycling is often the only method of transportation that can be all of these things at once. I would urge the government to reverse its proposal to review existing bike lanes and veto proposed bike lanes.