I am constantly almost hit by vehicles passing me on the roads while cycling.
We have a serious safety concern, not to mention a climate emergency concern—how on Earth can this council claim to be doing anything when it comes to the Big Moves when we do not have safe, dedicated biking for kids and families in the village? There is nowhere to cycle safely to and from the library, the mountain, schools, or workplaces. It is so sad that this council does not make our community’s safety a priority. Please, I beg all councillors and municipal staff to try biking around the village and beyond—not the Valley Trail. It is very dangerous. We need safe, dedicated biking, not simply painted bikes along the side of the road, which motor vehicles do not honour anyways.
If you want people not to drive, not to be the traffic, to increase the health and well-being of this community, make safe, dedicated bike paths that are not shared with trucks and cars. Imagine your 10-year-old biking around the village… where are they to go? Along pedestrian paths? On the road?
All it takes is the courage of council to put up barriers for bikes and create dedicated bike paths—to incentivize biking and alternative mobility. Stop talking about climate action and Big Moves—it’s appalling when you won’t even make it safe for people to bike in this community. Go to Vancouver and see what they have done to reduce traffic and emissions.
Make it safe to bike.
Amanda Ladner // Whistler
