Safety concerns over new bike lanes in Saint John

Saint John is adding new bike lanes, without creating any extra space for cyclists, some of whom aren't pleased with the traffic they still have to contend with.

The city is spending around $30,000 in order to link its borders with the Trans Canada Trail at Grand Bay-Westfield and Rothesay.

Saint John traffic engineer Tim O'Reilly said cycling advocates were consulted on the new lanes which begin at Westfield Road and continue through to Rothesay Road. 

It's dangerous for the bikers, it's just a matter of time before somebody gets hit.- Jamie Smith, cyclist

But while new lanes are being added, extra space for cyclists is not.

O'Reilly said that only about 20 per cent of the lanes will have white lines separating them from motorized traffic.

The majority are shared routes, with white stencilled bicycles marking a path along the side of the road.

Connect to Trans Canada Trail

O'Reilly said the reason the lanes weren't put onto wider roads was because it needed to connect to the Trans Canada Trail.

"There are some limitations in terms of what streets we can use," he said.

That has left some cyclists unhappy with how much room they have on the road.

Regan Dumouchel said he plans on avoiding the new lanes along Westfield Road because he thinks they're dangerous.

"There's no shoulder to start with," he said, "so no, I wouldn't be driving my bike there, it's a waste of money."

Unhappy cyclists

The same area is also getting the thumbs down from drivers such as Jamie Smith.

The contractor said he spends a lot of time driving there and has already had close calls.

"I've personally almost had a head-on collision with another vehicle trying to avoid a biker," he said, adding that he feels the cyclists who desire safe bike lanes are getting a bad deal.

"It's dangerous for the bikers, it's just a matter of time before somebody gets hit."

On Manawagonish Road, the new stencilled shared route has some who live on the street scratching their heads.

William McKenna said the stencils have appeared on the same side vehicles are allowed to park, which he thinks will confuse many.

"They're not consistent in their distance from the curb out," he said of the stencilled markers.

Tim O'Reilly pointed out the city has come a long way when it comes to active transport.

He also said the city is open to input that could improve the bike lanes. 

O'Reilly added the current signage will help improve safety for cyclists overall "because it creates some additional awareness for motorists that cyclists may be present."