Dear Editor,
Where do bicycles belong?
Once upon a time, it made sense to include bicycles with motor vehicles by virtue of their speed, size and the nature of traffic and roadways. Times have changed.
Many of the roadways in Richmond are not set up to safely accommodate bicycles or electric scooters; and to change this would cost considerably more than a fortune. To pedal some of these roads is better described as kamikaze than risky.
Safe and respectful sharing of the sidewalks is a more reasonable proposition than jockeying for space on roadways.
Drivers are usually extremely considerate of cyclists in Richmond but the slightest mistake by a cyclist or a driver in only a fraction of a second can easily be fatal and will almost always be horrifying.
Section183 (14) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act also says :
A person must not operate a cycle
(a) on a highway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway, or
(b) on a sidewalk without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the sidewalk.
As I see it, these laws exist to give police officers the means and discretion to intervene as necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the community — not just pedestrians.
To suggest good citizenry includes putting your life in danger is absurd. That said, mindful consideration of others is just as important on sidewalks as it is roads.
Norman Conrad
RICHMOND
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