Green means go for city cyclists

Kelowna Daily Courier Staff 2010-08-05
Coloured bike lanes are coming to Kelowna as the city follows the lead of other municipalities in trying to create more harmony between cyclists and motorists. The green-painted bike lanes will be tried out for at least a year at intersections along Enterprise Way between Spall and Leckie Roads. Painting began last night, and will continue every day between 6 p.m and 6 a.m until the expected completion on Aug. 13. "Coloured bike lanes have been found to increase motorists‘ awareness of the presence of cyclists, resulting in fewer collisions," said the city‘s transportation manager, Jerry Behl. "This initiative has been used in European cities for many years and has only recently been adopted by North American cities such as Vancouver, Portland, Richmond and New York," Behl says. Total cost of the painting project is $26,000, with the city providing $15,000 and ICBC the $11,000 balance. Signs are also being put up reminding motorists who turn off Enterprise Way that they should yield to cyclists.

"I welcome anything that will make it easier for people to ride safely," said Steve Lauridsen, manager of the Cyclepath bike shop. "A lot of our customers want to commute to work, but they‘re fairly daunted by the idea of getting out there in traffic." "Drivers around here just don‘t pay enough attention to people on bikes," said Landon Bradshaw, president of the 100-member Kelowna Cycling Coalition. "I don‘t think I‘ve ever ridden along Enterprise Way without having to bad-mouth someone for their poor driving behavior." To determine the project‘s effectiveness, the city will conduct a user experience survey next summer.