Laurier Avenue segregated bike lane week #1

It’s been a week since the Laurier Avenue segregated (or dedicated) bike lanes opened and despite the warnings of critics, cars and cyclists are not colliding at record levels and a general state of havoc has not happened yet. One of the concerns I heard expressed was that parking would become very difficult. Well, the photo below was taken on Thursday at 11:30 A.M. which is a fairly busy time downtown. As you can see though, there are quite a few parking spots available here. This is on Gloucester between Metcalfe and O’Connor. A parking crush? Hardly.



Parking problems?


Another concern was with delivery vehicles. I had not seen any vehicles parked in the bike lane until today (Saturday July 16). In pedestrian mode, we noticed a cyclist having a talk with the driver of this white van. The driver would not move. The cyclist then approached a passing police car. The officer appeared to exchange words with the van’s driver yet the van remained there as the police car disappeared. Obviously, enforcement of the law is going to be important for the bike lanes to function. I was very surprised that the officer allowed the driver of this van to finish off his business rather than instructing him to move out of the lane.





Annoyed cyclist and the van remains!


Lastly, the number of cyclists downtown continues to grow. Looking at the various bike racks around town, it's pretty easy to see.



Bike racks on O'Connor Street

Laurier Avenue segregated bike lanes officially open

Today the Laurier Avenue segregated bike lanes officially opened. A large and diverse group of cyclists gathered as well as a small group of protesters. After a series of small speeches it was time to try out the lanes. The initial ride was lead by Mayor Jim Watson. This project has been very controversial in Ottawa, a city that always resists change. Now that the lanes are here for the next two years perhaps we can put all the acrimony behind and just see how things work. Personally, I suspect the Laurier SBLs will be a big success and the first of many that we will see.



Alex deVries, vice-president of Citizen's for Safe Cycling (SFSC), discusses the Laurier SBL with Mayor Jim Watson. I overheard the mayor say how important it is to write to your local papers. Very true! Don't let the complainers make the most noise.



I did say a diverse group. Charles Akben-Marchand, president of the Centretown Citizen Community Association had a rather interesting swing bike. He's also part of the team that runs the very successful bike parking at Bluesfest.



One of the many volunteers doing some bike lane outreach.



A pair of Dutch cyclists happy to have a segregated bike lane.

No one bikes in Ottawa II

Recently, in the local newspaper, yet another letter writer said she didn't notice anyone cycling on Laurier Avenue. Really! Here is a photo of another "unused" bike rack. It's located on the south side of City Hall. City Hall, of course, is at 110 Laurier Avenue.