Editor, The Record:
The article on the District of Mission City Page in the June 16 edition of The Mission Record concerning bicycle route signage looks to me like nothing more than damage control.
I can only assume that this is part of the new communications strategy that council has asked the district staff to develop in order to highlight all the positive and wonderful things being accomplished in Mission.
I think, however, our civic leaders are missing the point. If what they are doing with our tax dollars is so laudable, it would be fairly obvious and thus, a communication strategy wouldn't be necessary. The bike route debacle is just another example of why the current administration just doesn't get it.
The bicycle route project was funded by government grants and local gaming revenue. As I see it, there are numerous deficits in the design and layout of the route. Many areas on the designated route have little or no shoulders to ride on, making riding difficult and dangerous at best.
Bicycle symbols are stenciled on the side of the road and not on bike paths as in most other cities and districts. The placement of the stencils lends a degree of ambiguity to areas where riding conditions are less than favourable.
If it was council's goal to attract cyclists to these roads in the hope that they would be safer to travel because of the signage, they have missed the mark. I believe this approach to be misguided. Encouraging cyclists to use many of these routes places them at risk. It's irresponsible to suggest that cyclists take a particular route that is inherently unsafe.
You can't simply put signs up and just assume that it will make an area safer for cyclists.
Sorry, not good enough!
Arnold Muir
Mission