Smart Road Design
When city council and planners design and approve new safe and connected bike infrastructure and make better use of road space, they’re making smart moves for a greener city, and the benefits for everyone are clear to see. On a route with safe cycling options, when all road users follow traffic rules and respect one another, everyone is able to share the available space better, leading to smoother trips and safe, polite interactions. As more of these bike lanes and safe intersections are built, people are getting better at sharing the road safely. Most cyclists, just like most drivers, typically follow traffic rules and respect each others’ space, which makes everyone safer. Cyclists, who are almost exclusively the victims of crashes on our roads, typically show the same understanding of sharing road space as attentive drivers, who respect that everyone has a right to get around on city streets.
Dealing with dangers caused by distracted or careless drivers is very important. The most effective way to do this is to support transit and safe, accessible active transportation infrastructure, which makes our city roads safer. This group of more vulnerable road users is identified as a priority in our city’s overall traffic plans.
City leaders know it’s vital to reduce reliance on personal car transportation to get around the city, not just to and from work. This helps greatly reduce traffic congestion and cut down air pollution wherever and whenever there are more transportation choices for people. Biking to work helps a lot with rush hour traffic during the week, and with the right safe routes and gear, it can be safely enjoyed almost all year. Ottawa’s plans for safe and accessible winter bike routes really help make this possible. Especially lately, with more extreme temperature changes and stronger winds becoming normal (hello changing climate), cold weather gear and bike infrastructure are helping people adapt. In fact, many cyclists are capable of riding all year without much work, with those who do demonstrating that bikes and winter can actually work well together. We all change our car tires in the fall and spring, but doing the same for your bike (at a fraction of the cost) is just too high a bar?
Making Cycling Easier
So why does the city spend an increasing amount on bike routes for an activity that’s becoming easier year-round, affordable for most people, and a healthy option for almost everyone? Think about all the extra people who can now get around by bike. City investments are making it easier for those who can’t afford one or multiple cars, who have kids to manage, or who are finding new ways to enjoy biking in their communities even if they face accessibility barriers that would prevent them using a ‘standard’ bicycle. As Canada’s capital, Ottawa’s dedication to active ways of getting around shows the city is working hard to be fair, respectful, easy to access, and provide more transportation choices for all its people.
We urgently need more public transit and people who feel safe cycling in our city, because we can’t build more roads as a solution for current traffic jams and pollution. As more people bike, and money is efficiently spent to keep them safe, the next logical step is to build a road system where everyone works together and respects each other. This means focusing on smart city planning to make roads safer for everyone. This can include safety lessons for drivers as a way to reduce insurance rates, which could focus on vulnerable road users and distracted driving. Safe and connected bike routes across the city will also help people feel more comfortable getting around by bike, especially when they can safely use main roads outside of a car.
Just like all drivers must follow traffic laws and face consequences if they don’t, bike riders also share the responsibility to get everyone where they’re going safely, and that includes being respectful to pedestrians and drivers where those modes intersect. We can and should talk about how helmets protect wearers heads, but only within a larger context for overall safety on our streets. This can help everyone understand how to share city spaces better and get around more easily. And how many weekend bike lovers who wouldn’t dare make a grocery trip or run an errand would instead excitedly say: “This is great! Let’s get even more people cycling!”?
Ottawa’s Transportation Future
As Ottawa builds a full, easy-to-use, and flexible transportation system – including reliable transit, along with connected and safe bike and walking routes – people will have many attractive choices instead of just relying on cars. This important planning helps deal with the growth from new density and mixed-use facilities that the city’s Official Plan is championing. Our city planners are right to build more bike lanes and promote other sustainable transport options instead of just building more roads. They also continue to use effective traffic calming tactics on our existing roads and come up with creative ways to encourage people to walk and bike. This approach is not only very resilient and sustainable economically, but also good for protecting the environment. It also makes biking a great experience for cyclists, and our roads and streets a better place for everyone.
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