Re: 鈥淏us-bike marriage: Is it time for a divorce?鈥� column, Jan. 12.
As a bicycle commuter for more than 50 years, I鈥檓 generally in favour of more cycling infrastructure. However, I鈥檓 frightened by the thought of sharing a lane with buses on Douglas Street, as decent as most bus drivers are.
At first glance, it makes sense 鈥� bikes and buses travel at about the same average speed. But averages can be deceiving 鈥� with bikes going mostly between 10 and 30 km/h, and buses going between 0 and 50, and stopping frequently.
I used to commute across Finlayson Street, in the early days of the cross-town bus route, and before there was a bike lane. That difference between bikes and buses led to some of the most harrowing cycling I鈥檝e ever experienced. Cycling in the bus lanes on Douglas Street seems likely to be similar, if not worse.
To my mind, the solution is to stop trying to have our major routes accommodate all modes of travel. This has been recognized by the city in its choice of Vancouver Street as a cycling route parallel to Cook Street. Similar solutions are available for Douglas. As one letter-writer noted this week, Blanshard already has cycling lanes, runs parallel and is only a block away. Even more attractive to many cyclists, the Galloping Goose begins just across the new bridge, and parallels Douglas for much of the distance north of downtown.
I don鈥檛 know if banning bikes from Douglas is necessary 鈥� but encouraging them to ride safer routes would be a good start.
Hu Wallis
Victoria
