I wrote a letter to city hall a few months ago to bring awareness to some dangerous intersections and stretches of road in Richmond with regards to cyclists. I’d like to add the first new addition to that list for 2017. City hall, are you listening?
The city says it’s doing everything it can to make the roads safe for cyclists, but after what I saw today, I find that hard to believe. I’m talking about the pathetic patch job done along Sidaway Road, north of Blundell Road.
First, this not only affects cyclists. It affects all motorists, too. It’s absolutely disgraceful, and I invite everyone to go and look at this section of road on their own. Take pictures, take videos, send them to the mayor and councillors, and ask them, “How is this acceptable use of our tax money?”
Sidaway Road is a major artery for cyclists and motorists. It connects from Steveston Highway all the way to major cycling routes like Westminster Highway, and motorists use this as a quick connect across Richmond.
Over the last few years, riding north on Sidaway, just north of the Vancouver Gun Club, the road was breaking apart and sliding into the ditch. Having to ride out in the lane because of poor roads, and motorists not knowing why you are doing this, is always asking for honking horns, loud words, and rude gestures. However, last summer I was happy to see the spray paint markings from the city, showing it would finally be repaving that stretch of road.
So how did it turn out?
I’m not going to hold back. I challenge everyone to find a single, worse piece of blacktop in all of Richmond. I’ve seen back alleys from the 1950’s that are still smoother than this.
It’s unacceptable to think my tax money was used for this “repair.” The blacktop is uneven, it doesn’t even line up with the road it’s attached to. There are bumps, dips, cracks and, to top it off, the biggest, deepest pothole in all of Richmond.
It is, frankly, unrideable.
Not only does it force cyclists to ride down the middle of the lane now, but cars, also in order to avoid what I’d say would be severe tire or wheel damage on a regular sized car, need to veer out to the centre line or over. A bike wheel? Not a chance of surviving.
So, to the person blasting their horn at a group of cyclists on that stretch of road the other day, your anger is misdirected. You should be blasting your horn at city hall.
Geordie McGillivray is an avid Richmond cyclist. His Saddle Up column appears regularly in the Richmond News
