When I was a child in this area, it was not uncommon for the police to pick one up for walking on the wrong side of the road with your back to traffic and take you home where one would be punished for transgressing the law.
Now many pedestrians and even mobility scooters feel they can travel in cycling lanes in whatever direction they want and cyclists must swerve into traffic to avoid them. Interesting that municipal authorities tell me 2.1-metre sidewalks are too narrow for cyclists to be allowed to use yet cycling lanes at less than 1.5 metres are wide enough for bidirectional pedestrians and cyclists (the concept of the municipality providing space to allow for pedestrians and mobility scooters escapes municipal officials).
To make matters worse, too many of these pedestrians and scooters have their earbuds in and are babbling on their phones listening to tunes so they can block reality out, and shouting ‘passing on your left’ is not heard or too often apparently means jump to your left, turn around and play chicken with the approaching cyclist.
According to the current Motor Vehicle Act, pedestrians and mobility scooters are not allowed in cycling lanes, yet they feel they have priority in a cycling lane, and forcing a cyclist out into traffic to risk death or serious injury is inconsequential when compared to their right to travel where they wish.
The new changes to the Motor Vehicle Act make it very clear pedestrians and mobility scooters are not to be in cycling lanes – if there is no place for pedestrians and mobility scooters then it is time the municipality got their act together and provided a place for all road users to travel.
Norm Ryder
Central Saanich
