The cycling network is an important public policy initiative profoundly changing our region, and taxpayers want to know what went right, what went wrong and how to improve.
Long after this fall’s municipal election bike lanes will continue to be a passionately debated topic attracting varying and compelling opinions in the media on what seems like a daily basis.
It would be helpful if our municipal luminaries and leaders joined together to conduct a third-party review of the existing bike network across all jurisdictions.
Do we know if bike lanes meet their stated objectives? Is traffic congestion increasing and causing pollution issues? Going forward, are there maintenance and cost issues to resolve? How about a cost-benefit analysis? Can the network be better integrated?
The CRD and its newly created Regional Transportation Service is ideally positioned to reach across the municipal borders, conduct an analysis and work-up a broader perspective.
The service, designed to coordinate regional transportation, trails, and funding allows for an annual requisition of up to $20 million. Only a few hundred residents opposed the CRD funding request so there’s wide acceptance of the need to improve our transportation system.
The increased prevalence of e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-scooters, adds urgency to the task.
Good municipal governance demands that local authorities acknowledge the issues from the perspective of cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. For many supporters, the existing network has considerable merit, but think it’s ‘a good idea ridden too far’ especially in the downtown core area.
It’s believed an independent postmortem would mitigate issues, result in some tweaks and keep more residents in better humour.
Are there any aspiring local politicians that want to pick up the torch in time for GoByBike Week?