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Bike Lanes in the City of Victoria


I think that the introduction of bike lanes into the streets of downtown Victoria was no doubt a well-intentioned endeavour. The roads are congested, parking spaces are difficult to find, and vehicles are responsible for pollution in the city. All these issues are increased during peak times, so any policy which discourages the use of vehicles and encourages people to use greener alternatives of travel seems like an idea that would be welcomed. However, not everyone agrees.
            Some have argued that the new cycle lanes have taken much longer to install than originally planned which has caused disruption to motorists and cyclists alike. Mayor Lisa Helps herself conceded that the projected time line for completion doubled from four to eight years with completion now expected in 2020. Michael Murray of Victoria notes that shop owners are up in arms that street-side parking spaces have been carved up to make way for the bike lanes. The use of the new bike lanes has been much less than anticipated and some complain that the loss of the parking spaces has led to an increase in downtown traffic as drivers increasingly struggle to find parking.
            While I agree that measures which discourage the use vehicles in urban centres is ultimately a good thing, for it to be successful in creating a greener environment a compliment of measures must also be introduced. Park-and-ride centres would make cycles lanes more accessible to those who must commute greater distances by means of attaching cycles to vehicles for portions of their journeys. Currently city busses can only accommodate two bikes. For cyclists wishing to complete part of their journey by bus, the risk of not being able to board may be deemed to disruptive to their day and, therefore, discourage them from using public transport, and by extension, a bicycle altogether.

Comments

  1. Unknown4 February 2019 at 11:53

    Thanks Andy, I like the links and the look of your blog as well.

    ReplyDelete

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