Bike lanes deserve a chance to prove themselves

By Lethbridge Herald on March 12, 2024.

Editor:

Lethbridge recently reached 100,000 people and they own a lot of cars. For many downtown businesses like ours, that growth translates into significant potential for more customers. 

Our reason for choosing downtown was the central access it provides from every corner of the city. Downtown = Center = equidistant from all four points. And that has proved correct. We attract customers from the entire city.

Of course as more people are enticed to come downtown and support the businesses there, they typically arrive by car, and therein lies the problem. Lack of expanding parking spaces to accommodate the expanding number of cars.

The reality is, we can’t expand parking. There is just no more space for it. What we have now is likely to be “peak on street parking.” So,if we accept that as a fact, how do we deal with the ever expanding customer base that we have worked so hard to attract downtown?

One of the most common solutions adopted by literally thousands of cities worldwide, is bicycle routes. Dedicated routes that include paved paths, specific roads through suburbs and primarily downtown – bike lanes.

Lethbridge already has some of the most beautiful bicycle routes of any city in Canada. 

Running along Scenic Drive or down through the coulees and across the suburbs of the west, it is possible to reach many areas of the city often more efficiently than our cars. And with the advent and adoption of e-bikes, the barrier of the climb out of the river bottom is pretty well eliminated. And limitations due to fitness and health challenges are substantially reduced. 

E-bikes open up an ideal option to getting around our city and accessing businesses in places like downtown without any concern of finding that elusive parking spot.

Our family moved downtown over six years ago and four years ago we opened Analog Books in the heart of 6th Street.

 Within one year, we sold our second car. We all have e-bikes and during the warmer months they are our primary transportation. The two most daunting sections of our commutes around the city are the area around our home (which is on 6th St. S.), and 13th St. N.

 To reach the 7th Ave. S. bike route or the Scenic Drive bike paths, we literally take our lives into our hands as many drivers do not respect cyclists. 13th. St. N. is a designated bike route, however it is only painted on the road, and cars must cross it to park. Without a barrier, the risk of being struck is very high. We avoid it at all costs.

So when we learned that proper bike lanes were to be installed on 7th. St. S. and 4th Ave. S., we were elated. It was disappointing they weren’t completed in time for the 2023 summer riding season, however we have been looking forward to warmer weather this month to try them out. In the meantime, the complaints began.

A few downtown merchants blamed the bike lanes for the long, drawn out construction schedules on 7th. St. and 4th Ave. as well as the loss of some parking spaces. In addition, the challenging cold snap in November and the lack of proper snow clearing equipment for the lanes, provided additional reason for criticism. These are real serious issues. However, they are not justification for removing the lanes altogether.

We need to give the new lanes a chance to prove themselves. As downtown businesses, we need to promote them as the alternative and solution to the lack of parking, not the cause of them.

The reality is, getting more people downtown on bikes, scooters, mobility devices or anything besides vehicles is our best option for the foreseeable future. 

If people are concerned their bikes may be stolen or vandalized, we need to work on solutions for that. If mobility devices are currently not allowed on the bike lanes, we need to rectify that. The lanes and paths are one of the best options to support our growing city.

And finally, we need to rethink our attitude towards bike commuting; changing our thinking that cars are the only option, because in many situations and for a growing number of people, they are not. As downtown merchants promote “buy local” and encourage the community to shop here, we need to embrace all forms of alternative transportation. 

Safe and accessible bike lanes are a great start. They provide a dedicated space for cyclists, which makes cycling a safer and more appealing option for everyone, from seasoned riders to those who might be hopping on a bike for the first time in years.

Additionally, when biking is seen as safe and convenient, more people are likely to consider it for their routine trips to local shops and businesses. Multiple studies have proven this to be true.

This article in Business Insider from just a few days ago drives this point home – https://www.businessinsider.com/bike-lanes-good-for-business-studies-better-streets-2024-3

In conclusion, we must give the new bike lanes a chance to demonstrate their value in cultivating downtown as a destination centered on people rather than cars.

 Scott and Penny Warris 

Lethbridge

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