Plan to plow Ottawa bike lanes postponed

Cleaning bike paths during the winter months so that cyclists can more easily commute is a consideration in Ottawa’s transportation master plan, however, the city isn’t ready to fund the project.

The city would need to clear an additional 16 km in bike lanes for cyclists to commute on during the winter, but it will cost $200,000 to plow and make those lanes safe enough to ride.

The Ottawa Citizen reported that the city wants to encourage bicycle commuting but isn’t willing to fund additional winter maintenance until next year.

Part of the delay is because the number of cyclists using the bike lanes drops from 50,000 riders a month in the summer to 5,000 riders during the months of January and February combined.

“What I always say to that is, ‘If people didn’t clear snow on the 417, people wouldn’t drive on it, either’,” Alex deVries of Citizens for Safe Cycling said in the Ottawa Citizen report. “It would make it much more reliable. So if there is snowfall, cyclists could count on there being tracks that are clear.

“It is good to see that the city is taking first steps in taking it seriously, but the timing leaves something to be desired. It’s yet another winter that we’re going without any real progress on winter cycling.”

Cyclists have also pointed out that snow plowed from the streets is being left in the bike lanes, making it even more difficult to ride. In addition, people have complained that sidewalks and smaller side streets haven’t been cleared well enough either and that that needs to be pushed up on the winter maintenance priority list.