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Cyclist hurt in collision on O'Connor bike lane hours after ribbon cutting
Susana Mas, The Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 25, 2016 | Last Updated: October 25, 2016 9:17 PM EDT
The O'Connor bikeway was officially opened on Tuesday, though cyclists have been using it since Oct. 20. Jean Levac / Postmedia News
Hours after Mayor Jim Watson officially opened the segregated bike lane on O’Connor Street in downtown Ottawa on Tuesday a cyclist was injured in the bikeway’s first collision with a motor vehicle.
The collision happened at the corner of Waverley Street, a few blocks from the Museum of Nature where the official ceremony had taken place.
“A driver making a left turn hit the cyclist,” Ottawa Paramedics spokesman Steve Lew said.
A man in his 30s was taken to hospital and was in stable condition with shoulder and rib pain, Lew said.
Michael H. Vickers, who was using the bikeway Tuesday for the first time, was on his way home from work when he arrived on the scene moments after the collision.
“The cyclist was being put unto a stretcher and into an ambulance,” Vickers said.
Vickers said several cyclists stopped to find out what had happened.
“People were gobsmacked,” he said.
One of the police officers on the scene, Vickers said, even muttered that he wouldn’t be surprised to see a fatality soon.
Vickers said he noticed other “near misses” on his way to the office Tuesday morning involving motorists or cyclists looking the wrong way.
Asked if he would take the new bike lane to work Wednesday morning, Vickers said: “I probably will. I’ll just have to keep my eyes wide open.”
In news release earlier to mark the opening of the bikeway, Watson had said: “The City of Ottawa is committed to being a cycling-friendly city, and with so many cyclists on the roads, everyone needs to be more dedicated than ever to safety.”
“We’ve always been told to look both ways before crossing streets and to know where vehicles are around us,” said Coun. Keith Egli, chair of the city’s transportation committee, in the same news release.
“Being aware is more important than ever as motorists, cyclists and pedestrians interact with each other in new ways on city streets, especially downtown.”
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to visit the city’s website for more information about the bikeway and proper use of “bike boxes”.
“A bike box is used at intersections to designate a space for cyclists to wait in front of cars at a red light, and to proceed through the intersection first when the light turns green, followed by drivers,” according to the city’s website.
City staff and volunteers will distribute flyers over the coming days to provide more information. In the meantime, temporary signs explaining how to use the bike boxes have been placed along the bike lane.
The city has said it will clear snow and maintain the bike lane over the winter months.
Published on: October 25, 2016 | Last Updated: October 25, 2016 9:17 PM EDT
The O'Connor bikeway was officially opened on Tuesday, though cyclists have been using it since Oct. 20. Jean Levac / Postmedia News
Hours after Mayor Jim Watson officially opened the segregated bike lane on O’Connor Street in downtown Ottawa on Tuesday a cyclist was injured in the bikeway’s first collision with a motor vehicle.
The collision happened at the corner of Waverley Street, a few blocks from the Museum of Nature where the official ceremony had taken place.
“A driver making a left turn hit the cyclist,” Ottawa Paramedics spokesman Steve Lew said.
A man in his 30s was taken to hospital and was in stable condition with shoulder and rib pain, Lew said.
Michael H. Vickers, who was using the bikeway Tuesday for the first time, was on his way home from work when he arrived on the scene moments after the collision.
“The cyclist was being put unto a stretcher and into an ambulance,” Vickers said.
Vickers said several cyclists stopped to find out what had happened.
“People were gobsmacked,” he said.
One of the police officers on the scene, Vickers said, even muttered that he wouldn’t be surprised to see a fatality soon.
Vickers said he noticed other “near misses” on his way to the office Tuesday morning involving motorists or cyclists looking the wrong way.
Asked if he would take the new bike lane to work Wednesday morning, Vickers said: “I probably will. I’ll just have to keep my eyes wide open.”
In news release earlier to mark the opening of the bikeway, Watson had said: “The City of Ottawa is committed to being a cycling-friendly city, and with so many cyclists on the roads, everyone needs to be more dedicated than ever to safety.”
“We’ve always been told to look both ways before crossing streets and to know where vehicles are around us,” said Coun. Keith Egli, chair of the city’s transportation committee, in the same news release.
“Being aware is more important than ever as motorists, cyclists and pedestrians interact with each other in new ways on city streets, especially downtown.”
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to visit the city’s website for more information about the bikeway and proper use of “bike boxes”.
“A bike box is used at intersections to designate a space for cyclists to wait in front of cars at a red light, and to proceed through the intersection first when the light turns green, followed by drivers,” according to the city’s website.
City staff and volunteers will distribute flyers over the coming days to provide more information. In the meantime, temporary signs explaining how to use the bike boxes have been placed along the bike lane.
The city has said it will clear snow and maintain the bike lane over the winter months.
