Moncton backpedals on bike lane after drivers complain
Bike lane at Wellington Avenue and St. George Boulevard was added last year
The City of Moncton has been adding bicycle lanes for the past several years as part of its active transportation plan.
But not every bike lane is permanent — in fact, one will soon be removed along a stretch of St. George Boulevard.
The intersection of St. George Boulevard and Wellington Avenue was updated last year to add a bike lane. But that reconfiguration came with the removal of a designated left-turn lane for vehicles.
Some Monctonians are having a hard time with the reversal.
"Moncton has not been able to really get used to this intersection and its configuration, despite the fact that we do have this left-turn lane across two lanes of traffic in other areas of the city," Leslie Tse, active transportation co-ordinator for the City of Moncton, told Information Morning Moncton.
"So it's been determined that we're going to revert it back to its initial configuration."
A step in the wrong direction
The reconfiguration will be slightly different than the original design. Cyclists will be diverted for only one block instead of two.
"Cyclists make the choice whether they feel comfortable riding straight on the street as the bike lane peters out," said Tse. "Honestly, some cyclists will choose to maybe jump onto the sidewalk for that short transition."
Many cyclists aren't happy with the city's decision.
"I just hate to see the city give in to the concerns of a few motorists, for the sake of the convenience of a few seconds," said Calvin Martini, president of the Active Transportation Coalition of Moncton.
Martini bikes through that intersection frequently, as it's part of his daily commute, using the intersection to transfer from the Northwest Trail to major bike lanes in the city centre.
"It's a shame that the city is responding to the concerns of a few drivers to actually reverse that decision made by the city last year," he said.
"It will diminish the safety for all road users, not just people on bikes, but also drivers who will now be faced with cars speeding through."
Martini said the Active Transportation Coalition is encouraging its 250 members to email their councillors with their concerns, and he's planning to file a formal complaint with the city in the hopes the reversal doesn't happen.
More bike lanes to come
The city recognizes the reconfiguration won't be ideal for cyclists, but Tse said the city is still working on other active transportation plans in the area, like installing a multi-use path along St. George within the next few years.
There are also plans to include bollards in the bike lanes near Centennial Park, and generally to separate vehicle traffic from bike lanes along main roads.
"Some cyclists are comfortable on the road, many are not," she said. "And we recognize that, and that's why we want to make a safer network."
As for Martini, he's hopeful the reversal is just a one-off.
"I think it's a disappointing change in direction for the city, I hope it doesn't indicate a trend," he said.
"The safety of bike users is going to continue to be a problem until we have a solid bike network in the city, and we are a long way from that now."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Information Morning Moncton