Halifax barely makes the grade for bike-friendliness: cyclists
Posted Jun 1, 2010 06:02:43 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s bike week in Halifax and residents are being encouraged to ride a bike to work – but those who do so on a regular basis are warning it’s not for the faint of heart.
Regular bike commuters say the city has made lots of progress in recent years to make bicycle use more convenient – but say there’s still a long way to go to put Halifax on a par with other urban centres.
“The city likes to talk the talk, but they really do not walk the walk at all,” says Chris Poulin, who says Halifax gets a two on a scale of one to 10 for bike-friendliness. “Anybody that bikes through the Fairview Overpass or Windsor Street Exchange everyday, I would not want their drive at all.”
Poulin says car-bike collisions, while not routine in the city, are not uncommon, depending on your experience and where you ride.
Although he’s a veteran, he says he avoids the major routes.
“Anybody that heads out the Bedford Highway is taking their life into their hands every single day,” he said. “This is something that really really disappoints me about Halifax.”
Steve Bedard, co-chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, says if the city really wants to be a bike-friendly centre, it needs to focus on several areas – like a serious lack of bike lanes.
“That’s one of the biggest areas keeping new bikers from biking more,” he said. “They want to feel comfortable on the road. Something that’s most understood by drivers and bikes alike is simply lines.”
On a scale of 1 to 10, Bedard says he gives the city a five.
