Having lived through the OC…

Having lived through the OC Transpo strike of 2008, I know the best way to keep car traffic flowing is to provide lots of non-car options. Car traffic was very frustrating during the strike--it took forever to do errands that would normally have only taken 15-20 minutes because there were so many more cars on the road.

We are about a 10 minute bike ride from a major commercial center: there's a Shoppers and a grocery store. A few more minutes and we can get to our closest library. Unfortunately, the major street between our house and this commercial area is not safe for bikes. This meant my kids couldn't run an errand or go by themselves to the library until they could drive. A short bike lane, which is now in the planning stages, would have increased our children's independence and saved me time. I'm planning to run errands by bike as soon as the bike lane is in--keeping one more car off that busy stretch of road.

My son is finally learning to drive, and hopefully will soon be able to (barely) afford a car. This will increase his job opportunities. Our church is helping settle a refugee family. They can't afford a car--but they might be able to afford a bike, which would increase the job options for the parents and older teens. For people who can't drive or don't have a car, a bike can be one more way to get to a job. We need to reduce barriers to employment.

Providing safe bike lanes reduces car traffic, saves parents time and reduces barriers to employment. It does not make sense to approve or squash bike lane changes at the provincial level. These are decisions that need to be made locally.