LIKE CARS AND BICYCLES.
Our city of slightly less than 1 million has had a rash of bicycle injuries and death of late ... indeed it seems that deaths of cyclists are occurring almost weekly.
This at a time when our city is going big on green (read more bikes, bike paths, bike lanes, more public transit) and of course ....less reliance on the dreaded automobile.
A 1 metre (mol 1 yard) rule was recently enacted by our Progressive Province which requires cars to be at least that distance from a cyclists when passing. No such constraint is placed on the biker. This despite the fact that in 10 times out of 10 when a car / truck collides with a bicyclist, it is the latter who sustains injury.
Just this past week a foreign student was tragically killed by a dump truck on one of our city's busiest downtown roads. Cyclists are up in arms even though severe criminal charges were laid against the hapless truck driver.
Note to irate cyclists ....It was an accident. He was turning right and could not see the female cyclist in his blind spot. There was no criminal intent.
The road in question was only recently retooled to allow for bikes. As mentioned, it is one of our city's most busy ... and that is with cars. But in their wisdom, City officials reduced driving lanes and replaced them with bike lanes. Plus don't forget the 1 metre requirement. (Lots of room for bikes - less so for cars).
Cyclists now say the work there was flawed ...new expensive studies are needed to determine once and for all how bikes and cars can coexist on the same pavement. City officials are onside and promise that no amount of money will be spared in solving this problem.
Except dear Reader, the Problem of course cannot be solved.
Anytime a roadway is shared, the big guy ...aka the car / truck...is going to win out.
The other problem that tends to go under-mentioned is the fact that the cyclists themselves are in many cases terrible at adhering to the rules of the road. They cut in and out of lanes, ignore traffic lights, and generally make a pest of themselves when in the presence of cars.
If auto drivers behaved like that - they would have had their licences suspended long ago.
Bicycles do not even have to be licences - nor do they pay the heavy gas taxes that car owners do.
I am not opposed to bicyclists in fact I admire them for their ? to keep fit. I just have trouble with the stupidity attached for them to get from A to B in the presence of cars.
So I try to come up with a solution in cases like this....Keep Bikes and Cars apart.
Brilliant n'est pas?
Okay - quite elementary but that is what is comes down to. Build Bike Paths that do not come in contact with cars or a lesser fix...split sidewalks in 2 - one side for pedestrians and one side for bikers.
In the latter case it is true that some pedestrians will unfortunately be injured but I can guarantee you the number of fatalities will significantly decline.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
