Just as they have campaigned to drive motorists from Clover Point, the mayor and council of Victoria are waging a war to deny drivers (of all types) their rightful use of the full, unobstructed length of Richardson Street, with their latest bicycle infrastructure plan.
Richardson is an important designated collector street upon which the city plans to place five obstacles, sending vehicles off on longer, fuel-consuming, emissions-generating detours, many of which will be down quiet, local neighbourhood streets.
All this in the names of a greener future and cycling safety.
The latter is puzzling, as the plan for the section from Moss to Cook streets calls for a “chicken lane” to be created with the addition of north side parking on this, the narrowest section of Richardson, being only 29 feet wide. This will result in a segment that will be vastly less safe for cyclists, particularly with the creation of, at least, 10 blind driveways.
What is additionally puzzling, is that this reality was never represented in the material available on the city’s website. Instead, a wide boulevard, like that farther east is portrayed in the before and after illustrations, along with the claim that there would be “no advisory bike lanes.” I advised the city of this “oversight,” but to no avail.
This deception was not only perpetrated on the residents of Fairfield/Gonzales, but upon council itself, in the materials presented to them for consideration.
Was this by incompetence or intent?
Brian Kendrick
Victoria
