Friday, December 3, 2010

Laurier could make a good bike lane, but still not perfect

After a few rounds of deliberations, the City has decided that Laurier Avenue represents the best option for a pilot-project segregated bicycle lane. But according to the Ottawa Citizen, it's not one that's free of issues that will need to be addressed:
While community members showed mostly support for the proposed segregated bike lanes on Laurier Avenue, concerns have arisen about the continued westward connections for cyclists past Bronson Avenue.

"I think there are some advantages to Laurier with eastern connections, but there is a huge problem with connection past Bronson," said cyclist Ryan Utter, 33, who rides his bike daily for most of the year.

[...]

"There's way too much of that in Ottawa where there's a bike lane and all of a sudden, it stops," Gauthier said.

She said the city would need to warn and direct cyclists to other routes.
Laurier, as you can see in the image above, basically ends at the western edge of Ottawa's downtown, pretty much right in line with Bronson Avenue--before it gets to Somerset, Hintonburg, or the other western neighbourhoods. Cyclists could turn north up to Albert, which turns into Scott and ends in Westboro. Or some other route, but it's going to have to go somewhere to be a successful pilot project.

3 comments:

Charles A-M said...

There are three excellent options available, which I keep putting off writing up in a blog post.

(1) Don't go all the way to Bronson. Connect with the Laurier lane at Bay or Percy (see my proposal for an improved cycling route on Percy

(2) Continue along Laurier across Bronson to connect up with Cambridge Street North, or with Primrose and other side streets.

(3) As part of the Bronson reconstruction, implement the proposals in the Escarpment Area District Plan for improvements in the connection through the Ottawa Tech field to Bronson/Slater, to Commissioner, to the Albert Street pathway and further to the Ottawa River pathway.

Anonymous said...

As a cyclist I can tell you that westbound cyclists will rarely use Laurier west of Bay, because they will be avoiding the hill.

vpsoccer

Anonymous said...

How are they going to maintain and/or enforce these lanes come winter. Cyclists ride all year long and as soon as snow cover those lanes, all hell is going to break lose as the cars start crossing into the lanes.