Runner says fast cyclists are a danger
Collision with rider on a bike left her suffering major bruises and scrapes
Adam and Isabelle Lamoureux were enjoying their Sunday morning run when Isabelle was knocked off her feet.
“The cyclist came from behind,” said Adam, 29. It was the last Sunday of the Alcatel Sunday Bikedays, which closes part of the Sir John A. Macdonald parkway through the summer.
The couple say they had been running on the closed westbound section of the parkway when the incident happened.
“She was thrown onto the pavement, and both her and the cyclist sustained significant scrapes and bruises.”
“I was just in shock when it happened,” Isabelle added. The impact left her with a large bruise on her back and road rash all down her left leg. “I didn’t see it coming.”
The 31-year-old said she limped off her injuries and will be fine once she heals, but it could have been a different story had it been a child up against a high-speed bike, she said. And while they don’t blame the remorseful rider, they say speeding cyclists are becoming all too common. The couple cited their experiences on the shared pathways, too.
“The problem we have is there’s a lot of cyclists that have taken up racing, or cycling at really high speeds,” Adam said.
The two, who are training for a half-marathon in the upcoming Canada Army Run, often use National Capital Commission pathways. According to the NCC, the Bikedays open more than 50 kilometres of NCC roadways in Ottawa and Gatineau to “cyclists, inline skaters, runners and walkers.”
“We quite regularly are dodging the bikes and jumping out of the way,” Adam said. “It can be pretty frightening when a bike flies past you at high speed and you’re not expecting that.
“I think the NCC needs to take more responsibility in ensuring their pathways are safe. I’d love to see them patrolling and getting people to slow down.”
Many of the NCC pathways have signs telling riders not to travel faster than 20 kilometres an hour, but they said it’s not working.
“There are a lot that go significantly faster than that,” Adam said.
“The rules aren’t being enforced,” Isabelle added.
The NCC has a number of recommendations on its website for safe cycling, including the 20 km/h suggested speed, as well as instructions to yield to pedestrians and sound a bell when passing.
The couple would like to see these become less of a courtesy and more of a requirement — and say those who can’t slow down around pedestrians should take up road riding instead.
“For Isabelle to get hit and to have some bruising is one thing but if a child got hit by a speeding bicycle that could be a very different end,” Adam said. “We’d like to see a safe place for families to go and enjoy Ottawa.”