Dear Editor:
As a resident of the Keith Road hill area (at Shavington) I strongly disagree with Anita Leonhard's recent letter criticizing the District of North Vancouver's decision not give up a Keith Road vehicle lane to bikes (Keith a Council Failure, July 22, North Shore News).
I have been a bicycle commuter for 10 years, riding from North Vancouver to the east side of Vancouver, and I ride on the North Shore seven days a week for work, shopping and pleasure. The thing that really struck me over the years is the belief that some paint on the road creates a safe environment for cyclists or pedestrians - it doesn't. Only separated bike and car lanes are the answer to safe riding.
In a two-week period when the "temporary" bike lane was in place, I personally witnessed six near-collisions involving cars and bikes. I also experienced long waits turning left onto Keith Road from Shavington and saw cars passing dangerously to get around cars trying to turn right off the hill. If anything, I noticed an increase in speeding on the hill during this time, likely due to frustration.
When I rode my bike on the North Shore I always used the safest routes I could find, such as the Brooksbank trail to reach upper Grand Boulevard and Lonsdale Avenue or Heywood/4th Street and the Low Level Road to reach Lower Lonsdale. Perhaps these routes could be made more accessible and dedicated for bikes. It would have been crazy to make one of the steepest hills in North Vancouver a bike route.
If Ms. Leonhard is truly interested in pedestrian safety, perhaps she should be lobbying the council to put in sidewalks and crossing signals.
Douglas Mason North Vancouver
