Bike lanes to be added to Roselawn Drive, like it or not
Bike lanes will be added to Roselawn Drive in south Windsor, despite objection from residents in that neighbourhood.
The lanes will be added on Roselawn Drive between Dougall Avenue and Longfellow Avenue.
Some residents asked city councillors Monday night to reconsider, so they could keep parking on the street. But the majority of council voted against them, 8-3.
Coun. Chris Holt says the city needs to stay true to its Bicycle Use Master Plan.
"One of the main criticisms about our bicycle lane infrastructure is the fact that it doesn't touch, it doesn't connect. And so when we finally get that magical moment of actually connecting, connecting the dots, we're actually going to start seeing more and more people ride, which should be the ultimate goal," Holt said.
Resident Laura McLaren launched a petition against the project because she said Roselawn was already bike friendly, without designated bike lanes.
"The road is currently used by cyclists. There is nothing to be gained by the addition of dedicated bike lanes, only losses to the residents of Roselawn Drive," she said.
McLaren and many of her neighbours are upset about losing on-street parking.
The residents' councillor, Fred Francis, agreed that cyclists are already safe.
"If you're a current cyclist, and you wanted to take advantage of that on Roselawn, you could do so without being obstructed. It certainly didn't have high traffic volumes, in comparison to other streets, like Cabana [Road], for instance," he said.
The bike lanes will cost $13,200 for paint and signs.
"At a cost of $13,200, as the ward councillor, I would much rather see those funds go to put in bike lanes on a street that could use them more than Roselawn," Francis said.
