Soapbox by Stephanie Harrington
During the week, commuters in Ottawa make an average of 230,000 trips by walking, 40,000 by cycling, 350,000 by bus and 1,800,000 by car, according to Ottawa’s Smart Growth plan.
The city wants to reduce the number of cars on the road by encouraging people to commute using alternate modes of transportation. The plan to keep Ottawa “clean and green” is a great idea. However, the city needs to address the following problems.
There is animosity between motorists and cyclists. Cyclists commonly complain that motorists don’t respect cyclists and cut-off, bully or sometimes hit them. Motorists, on the other hand, often think cyclists are reckless because some do not obey the rules of the road.
Next, there’s the issue of bike paths. Avid cyclists don’t mind riding on busy streets. But it’s intimidating for inexperienced riders. Some people resort to illegally riding on sidewalks, thereby endangering pedestrians. So, the Ottawa Police and Citizens for Safe Cycling launched a commuter safety campaign on Sept. 10 to target and educate reckless motorists and cyclists. Cyclists and drivers needs to be better educated so that mutual trust and respect can develop on the roads.
Or maybe downtown Ottawa should have more bike paths. In Centretown, Percy and Bay streets are two alternatives to riding down Bronson Avenue, but there is no alternative between Bank Street and the Rideau Canal. As well, the Percy and Bay bike paths end abruptly, leaving timid cyclists little choice but to brave busy streets. Another bike path that linked the Rideau Canal to Gladstone Avenue, between Cartier and Elgin streets, was closed in July. The problem with this bike lane was that it ran in the opposite direction of traffic on the one-way street. Motorists were driving the wrong way down the street because the one-way sign had to be removed due to the new bike path. Would more paths boost interest in cycling or cause more problems?Or is cycling education the answer?
And then there is the issue of rollerblading. Many people don’t know if rollerbladers should commute on the sidewalk or road. The Smart Growth Plan doesn’t even mention rollerblading as a form of transportation. Citizens for Safe Cycling say rollerbladers should use the road and obey the Highway Traffic Act.
That’s fine, except stones, potholes and poor road conditions can make it dangerous to rollerblade on busy streets. It isn’t as fast as cycling, so letting a person take up an entire lane seems absurd. Sidewalks aren’t in much better condition and pedestrians panic when a rollerblader approaches. The Rideau Canal isn’t an option either because the pavement is in poor condition.
These issues should be settled so that commuters are offered safe and effective alternatives to driving.