This new Ottawa bike lane comes with a pole in the middle, but why is it there?

Located along Scott at the intersection of Carruthers, a pole with a crosswalk button is right in the middle of the bike lane.

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Published Oct 21, 2024  •  1 minute read

A cyclist has to be careful around a post in the middle of the new bike lane along Scott Street at the intersection of Carruthers Avenue on Monday. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

Ottawa cyclists are dodging a bizarrely placed pole in the middle of a bike lane in the city’s west end.

Located along Scott Street at the intersection of Carruthers Avenue, a pole crosswalk button is directly in the middle of the bike lane, which appears to be newly constructed.

The City of Ottawa did not immediately return a request for comment when asked how the pole ended up in the middle of the path.

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A cyclist has to be careful around a post in the middle of the new bike lane along Scott Street on Oct. 21. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

Bike lanes have been in the crosshairs of the Ford government lately, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying they’re the main cause of gridlock traffic in Ontario’s largest cities. His government has proposed legislation that would require cities to get provincial permission to add bike lanes in place of traffic lanes.

“It isn’t enough to keep an eye on future bike lanes,” Ford said in a speech at the Empire Club of Canada.

“We need to, and will, remove and replace existing bike lanes on primary roads that are bringing traffic in our cities to an absolute standstill,” he said last week, though provincial Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said previously the legislation is meant for future bike lanes.

Ford has previously complained about bike lanes on Bloor Street West creating gridlock on a road that is about a 10-minute drive from his home in Toronto’s west end.

The legislation is expected to be introduced to Queen’s Park soon, something municipalities have called a significant overreach.

None of the 444 members of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario were consulted or shown evidence the province is using to justify its proposed veto power over new bike lanes that would remove a lane for cars, the association wrote in a statement.

“Bicycle lanes are an essential element of urban transportation planning and road safety,” the association said.

With files from The Canadian Press

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