Bikes vs. cars debate ignites municipal campaign
Coun. Catherine McKenney’s plan to spend big on cycling if elected mayor has jolted Ottawa’s mayoral campaign out of a late summer slumber.
McKenney’s pledge to borrow and spend a quarter of a billion dollars over four years just on cycling grabbed a lot of attention online and on the streets. That is $250 million, just on cycling infrastructure. McKenney says it will fundamentally transform Ottawa into a world-class cycling city.
Candidate Mark Sutcliffe immediately responded by suggesting McKenney’s plan would be focused mostly in the core, at the expense of the suburbs. Sutcliffe’s more modest plan is for $100 million over four years, on roads, cycling and all infrastructure.
Candidate Bob Chiarelli rejected both plans as too expensive and says he will not earmark new money for cycling infrastructure at all. Instead, he is pledging to cancel any new road construction and fix Ottawa's current roads, which he says are in horrible condition.
Some of the cycling projects that were identified as important during public consultations for the city's Transportation Master Plan include work on Moodie Drive, Strandherd Drive eastbound, Wellington Street, Riverdale Avenue, the Trans Canada Trail, connections with the Aviation Pathway and neighbourhood connections in wards 10, 16, 17 and 18.
For a snapshot of what McKenney’s plan might look like in the end, CTV’s Graham Richardson jumped on his bike with a mini camera to look at the patchwork of protection in the east end, and what a major investment in bike lanes might bring.
In a Twitter thread with several video clips, he highlighted different kind of cycling infrastructure, from lanes with reflective vertical strips to fully separated multi-use pathways.
Some Twitter users replied to Richardson’s Twitter thread with opinions on all sides.
Some did not believe the spending was wise.
“I understand the concerns, but there are far more vehicles than bicycles and we have had cycling infrastructure overload, much to the disappointment of other needy groups,” said Donna Mulvihill. "Please don't misunderstand. We need safe cycling but we need safe streets too. Cycling lanes that just end leaving cyclists no where to go but into traffic just doesn't work for the cyclist or vehicle. Before more cycling lanes are added, work on the safety issue first."
Others said improving infrastructure for cyclists will make roads better for drivers, too.
“It also changes things for people on four wheels, even those of us who live in the sticks. More bikes means fewer cars and less congestion,” said Wayne Beaton.
The municipal election takes place Oct. 24. McKenney, Sutcliffe and Chiarelli are three of the 14 candidates seeking the mayor’s seat. Jim Watson is not seeking re-election.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.