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Bike lanes are too intrusive

I am writing to say that I am against the new bike lanes being implemented around Red Deer.

I am writing to say that I am against the new bike lanes being implemented around Red Deer.

The original bike lanes were on roadways that already had a wide shoulder so as not to disrupt traffic.

I cannot understand the reasoning behind taking a four-lane road and making it two lanes.

I understand bike lanes are a good idea in theory but to put them on to a four-lane road and restrict the flow of traffic makes no sense to me. I can see in the future when new roads are being built have bike lanes built into the roadway but where it takes away from traffic flow, the bike lanes should not be installed.

It seems strange that on one hand the city is expanding lanes on 32nd Street to increase traffic flow but on the other hand it is restricting traffic flow on 39th Street. This will just push more traffic onto 32nd Street, which is already congested.

To take on such a pilot project, I think there must be a very strong bike community in the city that has the council willing to take this project on.

From talking with the city, I understand this is a two-year project, and I can not see how a pilot project is two years. In my opinion, this is unusually long for a pilot project, and very expensive also at $800,000 and from talking to City Hall, the bike lane lines are scheduled to be repainted again next year. I told the city employee there are traffic lines on city streets that are greatly faded and the city doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to repaint them.

In conclusion, I feel the city is catering to a small community of people within the city by making the pilot project two years long and so extensive, both in the number of streets the pilot project will encompass and the expense.

I am against the bike lane project as it stands now. The only way I would support it would be to physically add a bike lane to existing roads, and if this is too expensive, then do not put in bike lanes on existing roads.

I will be looking up who on city council voted against the bike lanes and will be supporting them in the next election.

Ed Tatarnic

Red Deer