The city of Saskatoon (motto: “Let’s send it to another committee for more study first”) has finally joined the 1990s and adopted the idea of bicycle lanes downtown. Kinda, sorta, in a way.Not wanting to rock the boat by simply imitating what them big-city folk do (in places like Kelowna, BC), Saskatoon went its own way and added bike “lanes” by painting bicycle symbols on existing lanes of traffic. They then ran around putting up “share the lane” signs.
Umm…in other words, they enforced the status quo.
Only one street, 4th Avenue, has a “real” bicycle lane, but unless you actually work on 4th, you’re going to have to turn off onto one of those “shared” lanes, as on 22nd Street. Really? I’d prefer to get to work alive.
Nor is sneaking onto the sidewalk an option, since “Walk your bike” signs have been stencilled there—and this is rigorously enforced by police. (They have plenty of time for this; it’s not like we’ve got the highest crime rate in the country or anything. Oh, wait…)
Still, it’s something at least, though I don’t necessarily feel any safer on my bike downtown. Perhaps if actual lanes existed, people like 64-year-old Barry Grosse (mowed down by 20-year-old Mitchell Rebryna, promptly let loose on bail and only just now given a gentle slap on the wrist) would still be alive.
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