Re: Spin City (News, May 31)
It’s nice to think of Victoria as Cycle City, even though a very small proportion of our trips are made that way.
Victoria does have a friendly climate, a street-car era “bones” for city design, making distances short for many from home to work, stores, etc.
However, it gives me a pain to hear the likes of Brad Dellebuur, city transportation manager, or the cycling coalition, suggest that we just need more bike lanes, etc. to get people on two wheels.
I have been cycling in this area for more than 45 years, with 35 years before that in various places in the U.S. I find few hinderances to cycling in the Greater Victoria area.
Today, much of what I learned through experience can be taught through a course or reading, in a short time. One learns about proper equipment, dress and road behaviour.
When I compare cyclists with car and motorcycle drivers, both must learn to share the road safely. Car drivers and motorcyclists have to pass a test. The ignorant aren’t given a special lane to compensate for their ignorance.
It’s time to stop the whining and make education more easily obtainable. Schools could stop wasting PE time on activities that have no adult carry-over and install bike courses instead. Safe cycling could be funded as an adult education offering.
It’s true that there are a few changes to the road structure, etc., which might help, but just painting more bike lanes is not one.
Robert McInnes, Victoria