As a driver, I have always felt more comfortable when I have a clear end to my lane, and a clear start to the bike lane. And I can now say for sure that I feel the same as a cyclist.
Safe biking practices state that you should not hug the curb, to avoid grates and debris. However, on those busy streets with no bike lanes I feel safer braving the debris than being out too far into traffic. While many drivers are understanding and give you room, others rev their engines and mutter words of anger when they feel you’re too far into ‘their’ lane.
I was a little nervous last week to lengthen my ride from a
mere 2kms to my Kitchener office to 10kms to my Waterloo office. However,
between trails, I was only on Caroline—a busy commuter road, yes, but with a
large bike lane. I felt safer on this road than I do on any without the white line
separating me from traffic.
In my experience, the comfort level of—and mutual respect
between—cyclists and drivers increases significantly with a bike lane. I guess,
in short what I’m saying is … more white lines please!!
- Meghan
Hi Meghan! Thanks for a great post! I definitely agree that we need to 'add more white lines', and that's exactly what we'll be doing in the City of Kitchener's Cycling Master Plan. In fact, we're planning to add over 110+ kilometers of bike lanes and 60 kilometers of trails within the City of Kitchener. You can view the Cycling Master Plan online at http://www.kitchener.ca/en/livinginkitchener/Cycling.asp
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting! Thanks for taking action on this, Kitchener. :)
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