Re: “Victoria at last has council it deserves,” letter, Oct. 24.
The letter-writer said: “Stop catering to car drivers, put the bike lanes down Cook Street where they promised.”
Perhaps he is unaware of the staff recommendation made to council on May 24 that: “Further analysis of Cook Street has revealed significant trade-offs required to maintain traffic performance and cycling safety, at intersections, and especially for vehicle turning movements during peak times” — made because Cook Street is a very busy arterial road.
The staff recommendation was to reinvestigate using Vancouver Street because “Vancouver Street represents a more reasonable compromise between safety, cost and traffic performance, when compared to the Cook Street option sets.”
As the letter-writer points out, the Together Victoria councillors and their allies are now a majority on council and all wish to put the cycle lane on Cook. I hope that the new councillors will read the staff report and realize what a bad idea this always was and continues to be.
The north-south cycle route had originally been planned for Vancouver Street until Biketoria intervened and decided that Cook was a direct route and somewhat flatter.
I invite anyone who wishes, including the Together Victoria councillors, to the website savecookstreet.ca or the Facebook page Save Cook Street Coalition for a more complete look at why Cook Street should not be a cycle route.
Cindy Swoveland
Victoria
