Halfway through bemoaned, celebrated cycle track openings
Posted Jun 14, 2015 10:27 am.
Last Updated Jun 14, 2015 10:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary commuters, getting a lesson in sharing, are starting to turn from confused and sometimes angry travellers, to making the best of the situation.
It is now half way through June, the month where downtown Calgary streets are being portioned to include bike lanes for three legs of the downtown cycle track pilot project.
Kimberley Nelson, president of Bike Calgary told 660News some of those who doubted the usefulness of shared road space are starting to get used to the changes.
“I think people are starting to calm down and we’re seeing businesses putting up signs, encouraging cycling customers to come in and offer different incentives so I think the bike community and the corporate, commercial and retail are going to get along just fine,” Nelson said.
Nelson added drivers who don’t believe sacrificing part of the road to share with bikers is worth it, can just look out their window to see the proof.
“Somebody that was driving to work the other day was telling me that there were people in (the bike lanes) all over the place and he was trying to find out if they were still closed; so people are chomping at the bit to get in them and of course have been riding in them while they’ve been closed for construction.”
The final leg of the cycle track will run along 8th and 9th Avenues Southwest and is expected to open by the end of the month.
On Friday, the latest portion opened along 5th Street SW from 3rd Avenue SW to 17th Avenue SW.
Nelson said she believes a lot of people who have been thinking about biking to work in the back of their minds are starting to give it a try.
