Baffled by council’s bike lane decision

There are several puzzling things about Peterborough city council’s recent vote against a plan to reconstruct Charlotte St. with protected cycling lanes – not the least of which is that it comes right on the heels of $42.5 million in new provincial funding for cities to provide safe cycling infrastructure. While more Ontario cities recognize the benefits of roads that are safely shared, our leaders seem to be stuck on a car-only vision more suitable for the 1950s than the near-future.

Another head-scratcher for anyone who values democratic decision-making based on evidence is how easily city council caved into fear-mongering about the loss of on-street parking. Ignored were the extensive consultations with the general public and with business owners that gave a thumbs-up to protected cycling lanes. Also falling on deaf ears were the delegations to city council that presented reasoned arguments in favour of the plan.

What our councillors are slow to realize is that everyone wins when a transportation artery is reconfigured so that the road is shared safely – not just cyclists. With protected lanes, cyclists are much safer, and are more likely to patronize the businesses en route. Speaking of business, research from many cities shows how profits go up when streets are cycling-friendly. Even cars benefit. For drivers, the upside of having less on-street parking will almost certainly mean better traffic flow to and from downtown as the stops and starts due to parallel parking are lessened. To be fair, the parking issue needs more study, all the more reason for city council to base its decisions on evidence, rather than fears.

Another puzzling aspect of city council’s muddled thinking about cycling infrastructure is its suggestion that cyclists use King St. instead of Charlotte to access downtown. Councillors who voted for this foolishness might be well advised to dust off their bicycles and try it out. Simply put, there are virtually no businesses one would want to access on King Street. Many of them are on – you guessed it – Charlotte St.

Like it or not, Charlotte St. is already a shared roadway. It is congested for cars, and unsafe for cyclists, but both use it heavily. Without proper cycling infrastructure, it will inevitably become more congested and unsafe. The future of transportation in cities is multi-modal, where cars and public transit vehicles share the road safely with cyclists, and where streetscapes are also conveniently configured for pedestrians.

As Peterborough grows, we have an opportunity to address the matter of how people get from one place to another. Let’s not squander that opportunity when it comes to Charlotte St., a key conduit to our vibrant downtown. Peter Laurie Peterborough