At the launch of Nokia Sunday Bikedays many riders say the tragic hit-and-run from last week weighed heavily on their minds.
“I did think of it when I woke up and I thought of it because we took the same route… so it meant a lot,” said cyclist Hasmig Adjaleian.
Ottawa Police say there have been no arrests following the collision that claimed the life a man in 50s Thursday. The investigation is ongoing.
“I mean every time a cyclist is hit you think oh my god that could have been myself or one of my friends,” said another cyclist at the event, Celia McInnis.
During Bikedays the National Capital Commission closes its parkways to vehicles.
McInnis says in her perfect word Ottawa’s downtown routes would be closed to traffic permanently.
Cycling advocates say the most realistic option today is to share the road.
“People on bikes are also people who bus, people who walk and people in cars and we’re all the same people and we’re just trying to get around out city,” said Jennifer Seltzer with Enviro Centre.
Enviro Centre runs Bike to Work month which is now in its 10th year.
“The goal is to get people excited about getting on their bikes and using bikes as transportation in Ottawa,” Seltzer said.
Some cyclists say having the proper infrastructure in place could encourage others to ride.
Jennifer Frantz said the Laurier Avenue cyclist lane which sits between two lanes of traffic has long been a concern for her. Frantz says she e-mailed the city of Ottawa to raise her safety concerns two years ago and never heard back.
“There’s cars coming down the lane from the right – cars coming across Laurier from the left and the mike jammed in the middle, it’s really frightening,” she said.
In a tweet, Mayor Jim Watson said the Laurier Ave. cycling lane would be investigated following the crash.
“We hope in their memory that something will change so more people won’t end up injured or unfortunately to lose their life from this,” Frantz said.
