Open letter to Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran:
I have some grave concerns that you have not addressed.
You have all these wonderful taxpayer-paid-for bike lanes. However, you have not addressed traffic laws for bicyclists. They have the same rules to follow as motor vehicle drivers. However, on bikes moving around our city I see riders with no helmets. No reflectors. No lights. Also, they often ride on the wrong side of the road, don’t use turn signals and ride all over sidewalks.
We have some very polite bike riders in this city who do follow the traffic rules and laws.
But there are a lot more cyclists who have no thoughts about those rules or laws.
I walk between Raymer Avenue and Guisachan Shopping Centre along the sidewalk. I have been just about mowed down some 10 to 15 times since January by bike riders on the sidewalk who pay no attention to people like me who are walking.
Just last Monday, a bike rider was riding on the sidewalk doing around 20 kilometres speed and would not move. I had to move or be knocked down and sent flying. I was expected to move.
When driving around town, you now have to watch for bike riders riding the wrong way or not obeying other rules of the road, such as wearing helmets. Why is nothing being done about these cyclists who are breaking the law? Do you care?
We pedestrians should not have to worry about being knocked down by bike riders not wearing their helmets or riding the wrong way.
I am becoming very tired of these people flaunting the laws of the road. I expect the city to come up with a plan to deal with these bike riding lawbreakers and make our roads and sidewalks safer for everyone.
Joanne Swain
Kelowna