I am elderly. I ride a…

I am elderly. I ride a tricycle to keep balance and reduce stress on my arthritic knees. I need exercise to stay healthy. While I can get around the city of Ottawa on many trails, I need to often go on streets to get to the businesses I want to patronize. I go to the Glebe sometimes from the Merivale Rd area. I do not have gears, just leg power. I am not fast. Riding in the same lane as cars is terrifying so I ride on the sidewalk and give way to the few pedestrians I pass. Where there is a separated bike lane I feel much safer. I am not the only recreational rider; we are not all fast commuter riders. I would go to more businesses if there were more safe ways to access them. Westboro is particularly scary. I wish there was no parking lane, and that lane was converted to a separated bike lane. Build a parking garage and increase the frequency of the bus service. Same in the Glebe and Old Ottawa South. Maybe other areas on the east side of Ottawa. But DO NOT remove any existing bike lanes. Widening roads only increases cars when we need to get cars off the roads to reduce our auto emissions. E-cars will not reduce congestion.