Cyclists seeking improvements
The city will recommend dedicated bicycle areas when improvement projects are considered for roads that are part of the municipality’s bicycle master plan route.
It received a petition signed by about 60 residents requesting improvements to the bicycling network in Niagara Falls, either through widened sidewalks or by providing a safety barrier between a vehicle lane and an on-road bike lane.
Niagara Falls resident Rajwinder Dhillon sent a letter to the city, as well as the signed petition, in an effort to improve the “bicycling culture” in the community.
In the letter, Dhillon writes the city has a number of roads shared by vehicles and cyclists.
“Interestingly, the number of bicycle riders on our roads is difficult to find,” he said.
“It is not that citizens of Niagara Falls do not want to ride (a) bike or (are) lazy in any way. It is very dangerous to share a road with high-speed vehicles, especially for children.”
Dhillon said a lot of cities around the world are realizing the importance of promoting a bicycle culture and other green modes of transportation.
“I am sure you know the benefits of promoting this culture are multifold. It will decrease gas emissions, promote healthy lifestyle … clean air and more tourism, as tourists will feel comfortable riding in the city.”
In a report that recently went before council, staff said one of council’s strategic priorities is to encourage multi-modal travel and active transportation initiatives, and to enhance motorist, cyclist and pedestrian safety.
That priority is further advocated through the city’s 20-year sustainable transportation master plan.
A section of the master plan is devoted to active transportation initiatives and provides a recommended network of on-road bike lanes.
The on-road cycling network is complemented with off-road trails that generally act as recreational trails.
A separated bicycle lane is a portion of a road for preferential or exclusive use by cyclists, which is delineated from vehicle lanes by pavement markings or a physical barrier and signage.
Staff said most on-road cycling lanes in Niagara Falls are separated by a painted white line from vehicle traffic, and delineated through regulatory signage.
Staff said it has been establishing marked on-road bicycle lanes or edged lines on existing roads where it has been feasible and safe to do so.
When major road construction projects, through environmental assessment studies and development applications are proposed, staff said it will recommend bike facilities be included if that road is part of the city’s bicycle master plan route.
Recent examples of newly-constructed roads that include dedicated bicycle lanes are Drummond Road between Lundy’s Lane and McLeod Road; Drummond Road between Oldfield Road to the hydro corridor; the entire length of Oldfield Road; Kalar Road between Lundy’s Lane and McLeod Road; McLeod Road between Kalar Road and Pin Oak Drive; and Brown Road between Kalar Road and the western limit of the Warren Woods subdivision.
Staff said approximately 10.6 kilometres of new bike lanes were established in 2016. However, several gaps remain in the network.
There are some roads that have shared bike facilities, where vehicle traffic and cyclists share the lane.
There may not be enough space within the right-of-way on these roads to allow for dedicated bike lanes, said staff.
This was the case when Main Street was reconstructed in historic Drummondville.
Generally, shared facilities are used on roads that carry low to moderate traffic volumes, said staff.
Marzenna Carrick, senior manager of traffic and parking for the city, said the municipality “always” gets calls from residents asking if there’s an opportunity to install cycling lanes, but never to the extent of a popular petition such as this one.
When asked how she would describe the city as a cycling community, Carrick said: “Currently we’re progressing. Each year we’re adding to the network. Perhaps not quite as quickly as some residents would like us to, but it all comes down to what is being reconstructed at the time.”
She said staff, recognizing its not always able to reconstruct roads as quickly as they’d like, find other ways to improve cycling options for residents.
“Wherever there’s a lane that’s a little bit wider than normal, we have added what we call edge lines. They may not be formal cycling lanes, but they provide cyclists with a little more shoulder area to ride on, and that you can see on Valley Way (as an example).”