Cyclists are worried a new detour on Holland Avenue is too dangerous.
“My concern is that it is not a detour,” says Erinn Cunningham.
The 500 meter design runs along Holland Avenue from Byron Avenue to Kenilworth Street. It is place for the duration of construction on the Harmer Avenue Bridge.
The idea is that cyclists follow green markings on the road- called super-sharrows, leading them into the middle of the road and then ride single file with motorists.
Cunningham says “my concern is that they are just paint. They do nothing to protect people!”
He says the design does not take into account students at the nearby Fisher Park School, as well as busy pedestrian traffic.
The city put in place this design after the original design of bike lanes was scrapped after residents were upset this would result in loss of on-street parking spots.
Other cyclists like Nancy Pawelek says super-sharrows are not common in Ottawa, and cause confusion for both cyclists and motorists. “When I look at this system, I am not sure... am I supposed to be following where the green markings on in the road?
She is worried there will be more collisions on Holland Avenue. “I am really afraid that what's going to have to happen, is someone is going to have to get hit here and there is going to have to be a white bicycle here.”
Area councillor Jeff Leiper wants the city to go back to the original plan of bike lanes on both sides of Holland, or for the city to design a segregated bi-directional bike lane on the west side of the street.
“It would be similar to the one that is on O'Connor. What I believe is that we can put the bi-directional lane from Kenilworth on the top of the hill to (Fisher Park School).”
He says he is continually hearing concerns from all commuters. “Given the concerns we have heard from cyclists about their safety… I think that it is incumbent on us to act sooner rather than later.”
Construction on the Harmer Bridge is expected to last two years.
Cunningham is planning a group ride on Friday at 5 pm from Byron and Holland- inviting cyclists to test out the detour and voice their concerns together.