Adding bike lanes to new construction projects...

The ferry from Manitoulin Island to Tobermory was cold and windy, but upon landing in the famed and picturesque harbour town, I was regaled with stories of the Bruce Peninsula by Bob, a local dog breeder. After we chatted about my bike trip for a little while I told him I'd be taking Highway 6 south to Owen Sound, the only major highway on the Peninsula.

He told me that major construction had been taking place on the highway for most of the summer and that as a cyclist, I should love it. Instead of adding bike lanes after repaving the highway -- as is a typical way to add bike lanes, but is costly and obstructive, since the highway needs to be shut down for some point of time -- the province, with funds from the federal stimulus bill, decided to add them as it repaved the highway. Two birds. One stone.

And it is fantastic. The lanes -- which at this point are simply paved shoulders -- are very wide and could even accommodate two bikes side by side. And there are many signs that clearly say 'Do Not Drive on the Paved Shoulders', which is very necessary given that the shoulders look like part of the regular car lane.

I'm presuming that they will be painting lines in due time to mark the lanes, although another local I chatted with said they won't be. According to a discussion she had with one of the project's engineers, they may decide not to add painted lines because it could be harmful to cyclists.

Hmm. Sounds a little counter-intuitive. But according to the engineer, once lines are painted, motorists won't pay as much attention when passing cyclists on the road, assuming each vehicle will stay in its assigned lane. Unfortunately, this might lead to cars flying by at full speed within close distance to cyclists, which can be very dangerous. Without the lines though, motorists are forced to notice the cyclists and be more likely to slow down and go around carefully. I'm on the fence about the argument -- the government might just be cheap -- but it's interesting nonetheless.

The incorporation of bike lanes into highway reconstructions is rare in Ontario and the Bruce project is only the first leg in what is supposed to be a much larger highway network, including Manitoulin Island. I wish them all the best.