Re: “Victoria councillors opt for two-way bike lane,” July 9.
Sometimes I am mystified by the thinking and decisions of Victoria city council. While there appears to be little money to help the homeless, they seem to have easily found $2.2 million for an unnecessary separated two-way bike lane on Pandora and have plans for more.
Using thinking from a fictional movie — “If you build it they will come” — to increase bicycle traffic in the city, they have pretty much skirted the usual traffic analysis and user-survey methods for determining needs and priorities.
As a downtown Victoria business owner, I estimate that more than 70 per cent of people who work, shop, do business or attend events in Victoria commute from outlying municipalities and few find it possible or practical to cycle into the city. The Pandora plan involves eliminating 44 parking spaces on Pandora to accommodate the two-way bike lane as the first of several, further eliminating street parking affecting downtown businesses.
Having both driven and cycled Pandora and Johnson, I find there appears to be enough room for a one-metre dedicated bicycle lane on the right without removing street parking spaces, and at minimal expense and inconvenience. As the past president of the Victoria Cycling Coalition pointed out, a two-way bike lane on a one-way street just creates confusion and increases risks.
Those responsible should conduct the surveys, measure, do the math and make more prudent fiscal decisions rather than just pushing a project through with questionable benefit.
Michael Bennett
Saanich
