It is quite obvious that the writer of ‘More can be done to improve cycling network’ (Letters, Aug. 2 Saanich News) is neither a traffic engineer nor a cyclist. The bicycle in 2017 is not just a toy that children use. It is an integral part of the transportation network. It is not a simple annoyance that should be pushed aside.
Bike travellers and motorists share a few thing in common. They both use the infrastructure. They are travelling on wheels. They both want to get to their destination safely, simply and quickly. They both look for the most direct route.
Perhaps, if there can be the most efficient route, and if it is not possible to share the same infrastructure, perhaps the motorists should be encouraged to take a more roundabout route. It might add a few hundred metres to the travelling – maybe even a few extra seconds.
For a cyclist to take the alternate route it might require considerably more effort and time. For a motorist to take the roundabout route, there is very little extra effort to add a few hundred metres, or even a kilometre, to the journey. The cyclist may encounter some hills. For the motorist, it is just a little extra, very little extra, effort to move one’s foot a few centimetres between the brake and accelerator a couple of extra times. Hills, no problem.
R.D. Townsend
Saanich