Dear Editor,
Re: “City probing safety on road,” News, Nov. 11.
It is unfortunate that it took the death of a cyclist to prompt the city to examine the safety of the road in question.
It is also unfortunate that the seconder of the motion, Coun. Ken Johnston, has already suggested that the solution may be to ban cyclists from the road.
Hopefully, this idea will get no support.
Richmond has two attributes that should make it an excellent place to cycle: It is flat and has many country roads with little vehicular traffic. However, there are many gaps in the cycling network that also make it a dangerous place.
This writer previously wrote to this paper in the summer, when a cyclist was struck in a particularly dangerous location on Garden City Road, between Bridgeport Road and Sea Island Way.
That stretch is dangerous because it has cycle paths leading up to it but where the traffic gets extremely busy, the road narrows and the cycle path disappears. The same is true at No. 3 Road, between Bridgeport and Sea Island.
A similar situation exists at the north end of the Shell Road bike path, for one other example.
Whereas we welcome the investigation into how to make River Road safer, we cannot support a measure that bans cyclists.
We would, however, support measures that enhance the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
Good signage, speed bumps, widening of the road in certain areas, dividers between cars and bikes would all be good.
We would like to see the investigation broadened to look into other areas of the city, where cycling could be made safer.
This should be done before there is another fatality.
Graham Taylor
President
Richmond Bicycle Club
