Motorist are not apathetic to the plight of cyclists
DAYNA STEINFELD
As an avid reader of the Manitoban, I have been inundated with stories on the ongoing transportation debate. A large portion of the coverage has been devoted to cyclists in the city who are infuriated with the current situation. These cyclists want to see increased funding for cycling infrastructure in the city, leading to construction of separate bike lanes and connected routes of bike paths. This group cites the negative attitudes of drivers towards cyclists and the current lack of safety for cyclists as justifiable reasons for the increased funding. The cyclists have brought attention to their call for action not only through coverage in the student press, but through larger-scale movements such as Critical Mass. While their arguments have been passionate, it must be seen that there are two sides to every story and that the motorist is not necessarily the villain of this tale.
I will be honest and admit to being relatively, if not completely, uninvolved in the transportation problems plaguing our city. As a motorist, my little 1991 Toyota Camry and I have travelled this city endlessly for the last three years. I live a 30-minute walk from campus and usually carpool with friends, since my house is on-route for them. My childsized bike was sold ages ago in a garage sale. Yet, contrary to the generalized opinion of motorists that has been presented by numerous cycling advocates, I do have an appreciation for what cyclists have to deal with. I empathize with the cyclists since my mother is a member of their cycling community as someone who cycles to work during the summer months. It is through her that I am indirectly exposed to the problems cyclists face every day while simply trying to make their way around the city.
I understand that cycling is a dangerous way of transportation in Winnipeg, and that motorists do not always take care when passing a cyclist. At the same time, it should be understood that having cyclists on our city streets as they are currently constructed presents a safety issue for everyone who travels our roads, not just the cyclists themselves. Due to lack of special bike lanes in Winnipeg, cars must swerve around cyclists, which creates a potential accident situation for motorists. I have almost been sideswiped a number of times when the motorist in the lane next to me had to move over to make room for a cyclist. In this case, it is the cyclist that is creating the danger for the motorist, not the other way around.
Do I want cyclists off the road? Absolutely. However, this does not mean that I have some sort of asshole-motorist superiority complex towards cyclists. I would put myself, along with the majority of Winnipeg motorists, in the category of concerned citizens who just want everyone on the road to get to their destination safely. I am completely in favour of a plan for increased funding for cycling infrastructure. The only way to ensure the protection of all travellers, regardless of their means of transport, is to construct bike lanes. I would pick bike lanes over rapidtransit bus corridors any day. I’m just sick of being portrayed as someone with their foot on the gas pedal and their head in the clouds. The backlash that has emerged lately against the motorists of the city should be put to better use and redirected in a fair and balanced call to the city government for action. If the cyclists would stop to consider that their plight is intertwined with that of the drivers of Winnipeg, perhaps we could all work together for a solution that benefits us all.
Dayna Steinfeld is a second-year arts student at the University of Manitoba.
