I can’t find the bike lanes that are touted as an accomplishment by the City of Parksville for the $2 million upgrade between Molliet and Rushton on Highway 19A.
Bay Street has a bike lane leading to Highway 19A but there is no bike lane if you turn right or if you turn left onto Highway 19A going downtown.
There is a white line on the right hand side going downtown on Highway 19A but it does not indicate a bike lane with bike symbols. The lane leads directly onto a sidewalk and if pedestrians use it as a sidewalk right on the highway they are walking with traffic, not against it. If they are using it as a bike lane then the highway lane suddenly becomes an elevated sidewalk and they are cycling on a city sidewalk. Either way, I think that the pedestrian/bike lane is a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act.
On the Temple Store side there is no bike lane if you return from downtown on Highway 19A. In fact, there is part of the road that funnels bikes, trucks, buses and cars into one tight lane. The constant sideswiping and removal of the curb reflectors indicate that traffic is frequently hitting the curb with the potential to hit a cyclist who is squeezed between traffic and the curb. Ask city crew how many times they replace the curb reflectors. An accident that is waiting to happen.
I want to use my bike to exercise, to reduce carbon emission, to minimize traffic and to cycle safely to the beach front. The city has made my biking even more dangerous after spending $2 million widening this road that does not have any proper bike lanes.
John Davis
Parksville