Editor: Re: City receives $440,000 for 203 Street bicycle path (The Times, Oct. 30).
What a waste of money. I hope these 1.7 metre-wide separated bike lanes are extending the sidewalks and putting cyclists right off the roads, not just painting lines on the side of the road showing a bicycle, and putting up road signs to say bike lane, which is in the pathway of traffic.
I don’t understand why we put bikes back on the roads to start with. The easiest and safe way would be to put bikes on the sidewalks which get used less and would be safer if an accident does happen.
Every motor vehicle has blind spots, which are not within the driver’s control. When it rains and it is dark it is very difficult to see a cyclist, especially with no lights on the bicycle. If it is dark out and the cyclist is wearing black you can’t even see them. Painting lines and drawing a bicycle on the side of the road and putting up a road sign will not change this.
But my main concern is if a cyclist is hit by a pedestrian, there may be bruises or at the worst a broken bone, but if a cyclist is hit by a car or truck the damages are much greater, like being dragged under the vehicle to their death. The odds of a bicycle hitting a pedestrian and causing death is highly unlikely.
Re: HUB Cycling Langley committee chair Dan Millsip’s statement that he also hopes the lanes will encourage more people to use bikes for transportation — $6 million is a big “I hope.” Take a survey during the middle of winter when it is snowing or raining and compare the vehicles on the road to how many cyclists are riding.
Cyclists do not pay for the roads, taxes and insurances like a motor vehicle does. If they are claiming the roadways, then let them pay for registry and insurance.
We are now charged for off-road registry and insurance for motor bikes and ATVs that are not even on our roads but we want to give bicycles a free ride. Put them in the danger of our vehicles and pay their way to do it.
Angie Bayer,
Langley
