Windsor looking to protect cyclists when roadwork disrupts bike routes

The City of Windsor says it's taking steps to protect cyclists while summer roadwork interferes with their commutes.

Executive director of operations Shawna Boakes said the city is working with contractors to reroute bike routes and ensure alternatives are sign-posted.

"What we've been trying to do is maybe come up with some detour routes that may differ from the regular traffic," she said, "if we can find a smaller side street to put them down."

It's also working to develop consistent signage to direct cyclists, she added.

Construction season across Canada creates hazards for cyclists, as the bike lanes and wide road shoulders that offer them some protection from motor vehicles are occupied by workers and machines.

Complaints from residents

GoPro camera footage of the construction zone on Cabana Road, shot from a bicycle by CBC on Tuesday, shows trucks and pieces of heavy equipment blocking the bike lane and nearly all of the outside lane, which is closed to motor vehicle traffic. Cyclists must either squeeze past the diggers and dump trucks without crossing into the inside lane or cross into the inside lane to pass.

Boakes is unaware of any collisions involving cyclists in which roadworks were a contributing factor, she said, though the city has fielded some complaints about the work.

It is currently looking at options for streets such as Wyandotte Street that don't currently have bike lanes throughout and where construction has reduced traffic to a single lane, Boakes said.

Right now, she said cyclists will have to share the lane with motor vehicle traffic.

Shawna Boakes is Windsor's executive director of operations. She said the city is working with contractors to reroute bike routes when road work gets in the way of them. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

She urged them not to ride on the sidewalk, saying it's illegal and unsafe.

Cycling advocate Wayne Lessard said he would never ride on the sidewalk, but he would like to see more bike lanes on Wyandotte.

"I do ride on it because there are two lanes of traffic normally, and if I do, then I'll feel comfortable taking one of the lanes," he said.

"But right now, if you see the construction that's going on, the road's narrowed down to one lane. So if you're cycling, you're going to have to compete with the cars as well. And it creates a dangerous situation."

Close calls

The city needs to create a protected area to allow cyclists to ride down the road, Lessard said.

But in the absence of that, it should put up signs telling cyclists to join the motor vehicle lane.

"That's really the safest place to be," Lessard said.

"When cars are passing, and they're too close to you, they're forcing you onto the shoulder, and you could fall down and be really seriously injured."

Cyclist Aaron Fauteux said he's had several close calls while commuting by bike.

"There was a day a few weeks ago that I counted about four different times where I almost got hit, and I said, 'OK, I need to start taking a different way to work,' he said.

"It's kind of around construction areas when people know there's construction coming, and they're trying to …. squeeze into the right place so that they can get there faster."