Victoria’s new bike lanes might be coming in handy for more than just bicycles.
A pilot proposal put forth by the city’s active transportation advisory committee recommends that the new separated bike lanes should be shared by people using mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs.
The president of the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, Edward Pullman, voiced his approval of the idea to Times Colonist.
“It gets them off the sidewalk and if we’re dealing with the three-metre-wide bike lanes, like we currently have on Pandora and are soon to have on Fort Street, that’s more than enough space for people to adequately use that lane and have enough space to pass safely,” he said.
An intelligent transportation solution?
A city staff report on the issue argues that this plan is a response to the rising number of ageing Victorians who use scooters and wheelchairs.
Plus, these motorized mobility machines will able to reach faster speeds on the bike lanes than they can on sidewalks, thus making transportation smoother for everyone involved.
For now, motorized wheelchair and scooter users are classified as pedestrians under the Motor Vehicle Act – a law which would have to be changed in order for the proposal to actually be implemented.
