LYONS BROOK – Bob MacDonald knows when he pedals his way through Lyons Brook he is taking his life in his hands.
“There have been numerous occasions I’ve been nearly hit,” he said Thursday. “The road is narrow, there are blind hills and the cars are travelling too fast.”
MacDonald, who cycles between 20 and 40 kilometres five days a week, said he regularly travels on Highway 376 through Lyons Brook and is well aware of the need for a wider roadway for cyclists – a change coming soon.
“Motorists don’t have any respect for cyclists,” he said. “I ride about a metre from the white line and people have to realize that if you are riding a road bike you can’t drop over onto the shoulder of the road or you might wipe out.”
Pictou West MLA Charlie Parker said recently that Highway 376 will be expanded this summer to include biking lanes. He said a tender has been issued to S.W. Weeks for paving the rural highway, but after a visit from the province’s chief engineer it was agreed that the tender would include the widening of the roadway by four feet on either side to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians.
He said the width of the new paved shoulder area will vary along the highway depending on driveways and he expects the work to be done this summer once the local sewer project is complete.
MacDonald’s concerns are echoed by cyclist Lloyd McLean who bikes to work in Stellarton five days a week, 20 kms each way, 12 months of the year.
“The 3.2 km section from my home (in Lyons Brook) to the Pictou Rotary is the worst and most dangerous part of my drive,” McLean said. “The road is narrow, in poor condition, has blind hills, poorly maintained gravel shoulder and is heavily travelled by vehicle traffic with an assortment of large transport and pulp trucks using it.”
McLean said the 376 from Pictou to the Scotsburn turnoff is fairly densely populated, but it surprises him how few people walk or bike along the road.
“Paving the road and adding bike lanes will not only increase the number of bikers, runners and walkers, it will improve the quality of life for the area along with health benefits,” he said. “Not everyone has the time to drive to a fitness centre located 15 to 20 minutes away and afford the gas to travel back and forth, however most people can afford a pair of comfortable walking shoes.”
McLean said it is his “dream” to see the provincial government install bicycle lanes on all scenic travel ways such as Glooscap Trail, Sunrise Trail and Cabot Trail so the province could become a destination for bicycle tourism.
“If a tourist asks me where to spend a cycling vacation in Atlantic Canada, I tell them to go to Prince Edward Island. There they have roads that are, for the most part, well maintained and if you want to get away from vehicle traffic, you can utilize biking, walking and running trails that are maintained by the government and in excellent shape compared to what we have here.”
Cycling rights according the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation:
According to the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act, cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists.
Cyclists ride on the right side of the road with the flow of traffic. They can use as much of the lane as required to be safe from roadside hazards.
Cyclists need to ride as least one metre away from parked cars to avoid being hit if a door suddenly opens. They also need to avoid potholes and debris, and to pass double-parked cars. They may occupy as much of a traffic lane as their safety warrants.
