To the editor,
Re: Nanaimo hills aren’t cycle-friendly, Letters, March 24.
I’m sorry that some feel that adding bike lanes are a waste of money. I agree that we have hills, but so does Victoria – quite a few in fact. When I moved here from Victoria I couldn’t believe how few bike lanes and bike trails there are here, and how few bikers we have. Victoria has a lot of recreational bikers and those who bike to work. I used to bike eight kilometres each way to work there, and that involved negotiating a few hills. But because most of the route was on a bike trail I felt safe.
In Nanaimo, if I was not retired, I would think twice about biking to work as I avoid biking on roads that don’t have separated biking lanes and we only have a small number of bike trails. Biking should be encouraged as it promotes exercise and reduces greenhouse gas pollution.
As for very few cyclists using the existing bike lanes, maybe it’s a matter of ‘build it and they will come.’ Until we have a good enough biking infrastructure, don’t be surprised if you don’t see many bikes. I would personally like to see the E&N railway line converted to a bike path (except for the section in town that is used by freight trains).
Bob Crosby, Nanaimo
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bike lanes necessary for safety
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