I’m just not understanding the fact that 800 bicyclists per year in Quebec are having encounters with traffic. Why can’t they just ride on the sidewalk?
People aren’t dumb. Obviously you can’t go as fast on the sidewalk, but if you’re in a hurry, take the bus. In Japan, where I lived for five years, cyclists use the sidewalk. Housewives, schoolboys, elderly men, everyone uses the sidewalk — and no one gets hurt. Bikes have little tinkly bells that warn you they’re coming through and you just develop an instinct to move aside. It really isn’t hard. Walkers are never harmed.
In a city like Montreal, where I fear to tread as a pedestrian, let alone a cyclist, I think it’s ridiculous that bikes are confined to the roadway. I will never ride a bike in Montreal unless it’s on the sidewalk; it’s simply too dangerous.
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