Editor:
Transportation Choices-Sunshine Coast (TraC) would like to add a voice of support for the decision by Gibsons council to add bike lanes to Shaw Road (“Council faces pushback over Shaw Road bike lanes,” Sept. 23). TraC is a volunteer-run advocacy group that promotes active transportation on the Sunshine Coast. We were instrumental in building the low-gradient connector trail – now called Helen’s Way – that parallels the existing Inglis Trail and connects Shaw Road down to Stewart Road. TraC volunteers flagged the route and invested hundreds of hours in roughing out the trail, which the town then completed with leveling and gravel capping. It is a great example of partnership between a local non-profit and local government.
When we invested this time and effort, we did so with the understanding that the trail was one segment of a larger plan. We knew that the Town already had funding to improve cycling connectivity on Shaw Road through to Highway 101, and that Helen’s Way would therefore be an integral part of an improved cycling and walking route between Upper and Lower Gibsons.
TraC’s 2016 survey of Coast cyclists also tells us that the No. 1 barrier to increased trips by bike on the Coast is a lack of dedicated bike lanes. We know that the best way to grow ridership is to “put the paint on the road” and create those safe spaces for cyclists.
So hats off to Gibsons council for their courage in making the decision to install bike lanes on Shaw Road! While this change may be disruptive to some in the short term, it will yield long-term benefits by allowing people to cycle between Upper and Lower Gibsons.
Tim Howard, president, TraC
