By Ron Elliot and others, Ottawa Citizen Letters to the Editor, April 25, 2017
Bike lane debate is about safety
Re: Residents upset over bid to swap parking for bike lanes, April 22.
I am quoted in your article as saying I was shocked and thought to myself “what the hell kind of sense does this make?” upon learning last November that Spencer Street is slated to have on-street parking removed and bicycle lanes painted on both sides of the street. That was definitely my reaction, but I’m afraid many readers will misinterpret why I reacted the way I did.
What alarmed me that day was not the fact that on-street parking spots were going to be lost. The road had just been narrowed to allow for widening the sidewalk along its north side and it seemed to me just too narrow to accommodate bicycle lanes and vehicles safely. I have not been persuaded otherwise since then.
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/letters/letters-cycling-lanes-trade-disputes-building-a-library