This letter is in response to a recent letter about bike paths. I am glad to see some discussion on this topic.
I agree with the comment that we have many places to bicycle that are not on the road fighting with traffic.
However, I need to point out that these paths are not bike paths; they are multi-use paths, and as such, they are also used by pedestrians, dogs, inexperienced bicyclists, etc. And they are fantastic for that.
They do create a small amount of conflict between bicyclists and pedestrians because each group travels at different speeds. They are not compatible users on the same path. They only work in Squamish currently because there are few enough pedestrians and bicyclists.
We do have one bike path. It goes from the east end to the west end of Willow Crescent, so is about one block long.
The multi-use paths are less fantastic for a person who is using their bicycle to commute to work. They go many places but not all places. I agree that the District has done a great job of creating a system of paths that can be used by many to move around the district. I think of them more as recreation trails. And I think for a community of this size, they have done a great job. They take it seriously.
However, they don’t help the commuter bicyclist who is using the transportation system in the same way most people use their car downtown is a disaster from a bicycling point of view. The bike lanes in some places are OK. As someone who has been hit by a car door, I just cannot bicycle close to a parked car. There is only one three block long bike lane beside parked cars that I feel comfortable on. Two, I can’t really stay in the lane when cars are parked.
I agree that the multi-use paths are quite well taken care of—usually kept clear of debris and salted when cold.
The bike lanes and shoulders of the roads where I need to travel for other journeys are very dirty. They used to be OK. In the last year or so, they have been filthy most of the time. I am really hoping that the District will spend the money on buying the sweeper that is needed for keeping the shoulders clean.
If you, too, would like this machine to be bought I’d show your support by contacting the council or District.
The one multi-use path I have an issue with is the one that goes to Valleycliffe. Just south of Scott Crescent, there is a section that has barely enough room for a baby stroller to pass through, is filled with water ankle deep when it rains heavily and prevents one from seeing oncoming traffic. I also do not like the one to the west of Loggers Lane between the Adventure Centre and Brennan Park.
It has wooden bridges that get slippery when wet, are windy like a good recreation path and north of Industrial Road has a number of crossroads that make me nervous about whether a car would stop when crossing it.
Tom Brown
Squamish
