Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I’d like to first make some comments about desirable / undesirable infrastructure, but also include attention to pedestrian / cycling interactions. Finally, I’d like to add a note on change management – awareness for both cyclists and vehicle users.

Ideally, cycle routes should be separated from car traffic wherever possible. In the downtown areas, where space is tight, there should be the aim to have a physical boundary whenever possible to keep cars and cyclists separated. The whole streets initiative, recently adopted in Ottawa, is a very welcome step forward. Any steps that further enable cycling holidays in Ontario would also be very exciting.

Some infrastructure moves are not welcome. As outlined in this article, http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2016/02/sharrow-safety-bike-infrastruc…, a study by Colorado & Denver universities has identified that sharrows can cause more harm then good. The findings of the study echo what I’ve seen in Ottawa – without real incentives for cars to slow down and give way the sharrows on the one hand create a false sense of security and on the other drive cyclists onto the sidewalks.

I have noticed the rise of cycling infrastructure has increased the population of cyclists who are only comfortable riding off the road (such as dedicated paths.) I think this is why Ottawa, which of all the cities I’ve lived in has the best cycling infrastructure, also seems to have the greatest number of sidewalk cyclists. I think it is easy to forget that the sidewalk is the space used by the most fragile in our society: the elderly, the very young and the ones with greatest accessibility requirements. Care should be taken that cyclists understand that, whatever their concerns on the road, it is simply not appropriate to move onto the sidewalks. I commute (on foot or by bike) along a busy road: I have frequently seen cyclists riding at speed past pedestrians, riding behind them and constantly ringing the bell to drive the pedestrian to the side of the sidewalk and even refusing to dismount when cycling past someone walking with mobility aids. Sidewalk cycling needs to managed better, especially aggressive cycling behaviour such as exhibiting ‘sidewalk rage’ at pedestrians & clipping pedestrians with handlebars on narrow sidewalks.

Finally, I think there needs to be a finely nuanced campaign for raising awareness of changes in road use and priorities. Having seen the effect of a number of changes brought in quickly in Ottawa, it is clear that many drivers simply have no idea that priorities have changed. There needs to be much greater awareness of how to interact with cycle lanes and priorities on the existing sharrows.

[Original Comment ID: 196501]