The following letter was sent to District of Sechelt council and copied to Coast Reporter
In regards to the highway-widening plan in Davis Bay, I would like to cast my vote. Instead, please use the MOTI money to create a cycling lane from Davis Bay to Sechelt. I would like to challenge councillors to cycle from the bottom of Davis Bay hill into Sechelt.
I commute most days on my bike from Roberts Creek to Sechelt. If the hill and fumes don't have you puffing at 8:30 a.m., then the stretch where the shoulder is the size of my shoulders should get your heart racing when the semi-trailers suck you over.
There's also the driveways that host piles of gravel that force you to either veer left into traffic or slow down so you won't fall. The last curve into Sechelt holds the most excitement, as there is no shoulder at all.
There are many drivers who make allowances for cyclists, and I thank them. But even if I obey the rules of the road and wear gobs of reflective material, there are some drivers who are not careful and cut me off.
I feel safer riding in the city, but I moved here for a "way of life." Surely we can match Vancouver's forward thinking inventiveness to accommodate more uses than just vehicles?
This, in turn, would welcome more people to cycle to work and hopefully foster tolerance with frustrated drivers.
Kez Sherwood
Roberts Creek
