Drivers have to pass rigorous tests before they’re allowed to hit the streets on their own.
Yet many parents have no qualms whatsoever strapping a helmet on their child’s head and sending them off to explore the world on a bicycle.
Far too many cyclists don’t know the rules of the road when they set out, said Adam Krupper, the city’s active transportation co-ordinator.
He’s hoping a cycling education program , Safe Cycling Thunder Bay, being rolled out in the coming weeks will effectively change that once and for all.
"One of the issues that we noticed as a group is what our cyclists lack is a form of education, something to teach them not only the rules of the road, but why the rules of the road. Why do you need to do this. And not only the rules of the road, but the etiquette," Krupper said.
"By doing this we hope to increase the confidence of cyclists. And by increasing the confidence of cyclists, there will be more cyclists on the road."
Less than a year ago the city rolled out its first dedicated bike lanes on Court Street, a program that continued to expand throughout 2010, part of an on-road and off-road transportation network the city plans to create for cyclists.
Krupper said they’ve been put to use, but those on two wheels aren’t necessarily always following safe cycling practices.
"One of the chief concerns I get from drivers is they see cyclists riding in an unpredictable way. When cyclists are riding in an unpredictable way, it scares drivers and it does create situations on the road where drivers feel unsafe; not so much for themselves, but they’re concerned about drivers and for the cyclists. So we’re trying to prevent that," Krupper said.
The program, being funded through a $115,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation announced last November, should help alleviate some of the problems police are starting to see more frequently with more cyclists on the road, said Sgt. Glenn Porter of the Thunder Bay’s Police Service’s traffic division.
"We’re talking about a whole new set of users for our roads and pathways in the city," Porter said. "The first thing that comes to mind is safety. We’ve developed roadways, everybody has become accustomed to having motor vehicles alone on the roadways, and now we’re sharing them.
"It’s something we have to keep in mind every time we go out on the road."
Porter added both drivers and cyclists need to be trained in order to avoid calamity.
And while each side must follow the rules of the road, people on bikes must take special cautions given the nature of their ride.
"The cyclist, of course, is the most vulnerable on the road. They’re smaller, harder to see and they have to realize that fact while they’re out there. They have to learn the rules of the road and they have to be responsible," Porter said.
The first step, Krupper said, is to train the trainers, which starts next Friday. Six people will be trained to give the safe cycling program. He added the plan is to offer the program for free, pending sponsorship agreements with partners that include the city, EcoSuperior, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Lakehead Public Schools, Thunder Bay police and two local cycling clubs.
The courses, expected to begin by summer, will be aimed a cyclists of every stripe, from youth to older adults and beginners to advanced.
For more information, visit www.ecosuperior.org.
