The death of a cyclist after a collision with a vehicle on Higgins Avenue Monday has re-ignited the debate about how to keep cyclists – and drivers – safe on Winnipeg’s streets.
Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) told 680 CJOB she thinks Winnipeg needs a culture shift when it comes to traffic.
“Every time I hear that there’s been another accident or another death, it’s very disheartening,” she said.
“In my opinion… what’s really missing is a comprehensive communication, education strategy. We need to change the culture in our city. We need to work to change the ability for everyone to respect each other on the road and sharing the road. I don’t think we have that right now.”
Lukes said she’d like to see an increase in the use of portable, protected bike lanes – the type that don’t require a complete road renewal to install, and can be moved.
“They’re protected, they’re separated, there’s a barrier… so we know that they’re working, but we can’t put protected bike lanes on every street.”
Lukes, who has been pushing for a road safety strategy over the past few years, said she’s going to be working with Bike Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Trails Association to come up with ways to reduce the dangers to cyclists and pedestrians on the city’s streets.
“We don’t know the cause of this last tragedy, but clearly I think we need to look at the intersection,” she said.
“We need to look at that area and see if there’s anything we can do to improve it. In that area, there’s a lot of people who use the bikes to get around. It’s just a terrible situation.”
WATCH: Two pedestrians dead after early morning collision in Winnipeg
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