Calgary bike lanes have made driving better
According Calgary’s city council, the controversial bike lanes in the downtown core have actually made driving less congested. Effectively an entire vehicle lane was removed on a one-way street to make room for a cyclist’s lane. The increase in traffic flow, while seemingly counterintuitive, demonstrates bike lanes are not necessarily an impediment to drivers.
Prior to the creation of the bike lane, cyclists were extremely supportive, while drivers were not. The Calgary Herald reported on Monday that the number of cyclists using the street has quadrupled while regular traffic flow has also improved. Whether a person is cycling or driving along the corridor, the travel time has been reduced. In addition to the bicycle lane, traffic lights have been optimized in a way encourage better movement.
Despite the success of the new cycling lanes, the Ward 4 councillor Sean Chu is against another major proposition to build a two-way cycling lane in another part of Calgary. He thinks that such a lane would serve to dissuade motor vehicle traffic altogether and that there is already existing infrastructure that is sufficient. Yet cycling advocates in Calgary feel that there are limits to the current structure as it is difficult to get from east to west safely and vice versa.
The newest bike lane in Calgary demonstrates that when planned well, they can be a positive addition for both drivers and cyclists.
Calgary’s dedicated bike lanes improve downtown traffic for cyclists and motorists. http://t.co/Cqv29sSLkt cc: Toronto #yyc #yyz
— Carrie Tait (@CarrieTait) December 14, 2013
