Comment 39263

By Kiely (registered) | Posted March 29, 2010 at 16:18:38

Likewise (I grew up in a suburb east of Toronto that was marbled with bike paths - great for childhood mobility!), though I'd argue that a bike path and a bike lane serve different needs and therefore provide complementary roles in an integrated cycling network. - Ryan

Absolutely true. They serve different but complimentary purposes. You touch on one of the important things about the path in your comment though, that is childhood mobility. If we want to see the shift to bikes that other countries enjoy we do need to see our culture shift (I'll still argue that point with you : ) The best way to do that is to get kids riding bikes, the culture of the car is not going to end by building bike lanes and expecting 40 year olds to park their cars, that battle is going to be a tough one. But kids who start riding bikes and realise they can get most places they need to on a bike will continue to ride bikes. "The problem with these trails, of course, is that they're like highways - good for traveling across town to a macro-destination, but no good for traveling in town to a micro-destination."

True, this is where the integration of bike path and bike lane becomes critical.

"Also, it should be noted that bike paths - especially busy ones - carry their own risks, given that cyclists, pedestrians, in-line skaters, dog-walkers, and so on all have to share the same space."

The original paths in KW were not paved, they were lime stone gravel, suitable for bikes (even skinny tire ones) and pedestrians only. If they are going to be paved then yes, overcrowding could be a problem but at this point that is a problem I'd be happy to see. I've seen attempts to deal with the overcrowding issue in other cities with clearly defined "lanes" within the path… but let's not go there, then we'll be debating spray on bike lanes within paths : )

And thanks for the heads-up, I'll have to read up on the city's plan.

Comment edited by Kiely on 2010-03-29 15:19:59

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds