BLOG (John Lindsay): Traffic Calming Project Threatens Bicycle Safety

A traffic calming island on Atlee Street.

An example from Thunder Bay of a bike lane next to on-street parking.

Traffic Calming Project Threatens Bicycle Safety:

by John Lindsay

Cyclists travelling on Attlee Avenue in New Sudbury are now at risk for their safety as the result of traffic calming measures particularly those that involved creating obstacles that narrow the width of the roadway.

This situation is evident at most intersections where the curb has been moved out into the street and a centre island in the roadway that has effectively reduced the amount of space to be shared by a motor vehicle and a cyclist. (See attached photo)

This is the second corridor in the city to receive physical traffic calming measures, the first being Southview Drive, several years ago.  This street, besides curb indentations, features a small roundabout in the centre of the roadway which has received much criticism and indeed ridicule as an obstruction of little value.

The bicycle advisory committee (BAC) of the city of which I was a founding member recommended over the years that bike lanes were the most effective means of traffic calming coupled with the obvious benefit of providing bike routes for cyclists.  Before being disbanded by the city the committee had completed a total appraisal of city streets and roadways with cycle recommendations.  The report was received by city council but never approved.  If the recommendations had been implemented, the city would be far advanced in providing cycling opportunities for our citizens.

In the BAC recommendations Attlee was identified for bike lanes.  The city said that residents wanted to park on the street and therefore bike lanes were not possible.  However, it is possible to have bike lanes and parking as a number of cities have demonstrated by having parking on one side of the street with a bike lane next to the parking area and the bike lane on the other side next to the curb.  Attached picture shows example from Thunder Bay where that city has developed many kilometers of bike lanes on streets throughout the city.

The cost of implementing this strategy, which would have provided proven traffic calming, plus allowing for on street parking and bike lanes would have been far less than the cost of the roadwork involving moving curbs at intersections and creating artificial traffic islands in the middle of the street, both of which create situations where sharing the road by motor vehicles and bicycles becomes much more difficult and obviously more dangerous.  Once again the city puts yet another obstacle to promoting safe cycling in our community, as we fall further behind other more progressive cities in providing biking opportunities for our residents.

John Lindsay

Sudbury