Cycling advocates made about 40 recommendations to improve cycling safety after a brainstorming session organized two weeks ago by the city’s roads and cycling advisory committee.
Suggestions included instituting more cycling lanes downtown, changing roadside parking to decrease the risk of open car doors, and public service announcements to remind drivers to look out for cyclists.
They were submitted to Ontario’s chief coroner who requested public input into an investigation he’s conducting into cycling deaths in the province.
Michael Powell, a member of the advisory committee, says there was a need to have an open forum to discuss cycling safety. “The coroner’s study really gave us an opportunity to do that.”
While he’d only been expecting about 15 people based on RSVPs to the event, Powell says was pleased to see around 30 show up.
The chief coroner announced the investigation on Oct. 24 in response to about 75 cycling-related deaths in Ontario between 2006 and 2010.
The next day, Ottawa resident Danielle Naçu, 33, was killed on Queen Street after an opening car door hit her bicycle and she was knocked into traffic.
The consensus of the meeting was that education is key for both drivers and cyclists.
Cyclists and drivers alike are confused about cycling signs and signals such as “sharrows,” says Alayne McGregor, of Citizens for Safe Cycling.
Sharrows are markings showing a bicycle and two chevrons painted on roads that are not wide enough to include a full bike lane and are meant to remind drivers to share the road.
“A lot of what makes roads safer and cyclists safer is just people behaving and acting responsibly or knowing what they’re entitled to do,” says Powell.
Several participants suggested that the Ontario driving curriculum include a larger component about cycling, while some suggested more safety courses for cyclists such as the CAN-BIKE program, which focuses on teaching the basics of cycling.
Although drivers can be aggressive and impatient towards cyclists, cyclists often don’t take appropriate safety measures such as following traffic laws or making sure they’re visible, says Hans Moor, president of Citizens for Safe Cycling.
“It gives all of the cyclists a bad reputation,” he says.
Centretown resident Alex Hosselet, who attended the brainstorm, says he knows first-hand about the dangers of cycling on Ottawa’s streets.
Hosselet, 26, says he was hit by a car while cycling on Richmond Road this summer.
“I’m a stickler for the rules,” he says. “I signal and I stop at all the lights.”
He says he usually avoids talking about the incident, but when Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes suggested he share his story, he decided to attend the city hall event.
“I was, like, ‘Sure, I’ll get up a little earlier on Saturday morning and come down to city hall’ because it’s kind of important to me,” he says.
Drivers and cyclists just need to be more aware of each other and cyclists need to build their confidence, says Powell.
“Cycling in Ottawa is a really safe activity,” he says.
Although the recommendations sent to the coroner’s office aren’t Ottawa-specific, the report will also be circulated to city councillors, says Powell.
The results of the coroner’s investigation will be released in the spring.