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Locals in Battlefords encouraged to bike to work this week

May 31, 2016 | 12:04 PM

National Bike Week is officially underway in North Battleford and around the world; it’s a chance to make more people aware of how easily they can apply a more sustainable means of transportation into their daily commute.

The Battlefords may be a cyclist’s dream when it comes to riding alongside the vast nature trails spanning the North Saskatchewan River. But North Battleford may not fit the typical urban cycling culture as easily as a larger metropolitan centre might.

When the question of North Battleford’s “bike­ability” was brought up the city’s mayor, Ian Hamilton, he said the potential to add amenities for cyclists – such as dedicated street lanes in the city – was not yet possible due to a lack of infrastructure. However, he also said he felt the community at-large should not be discouraged from taking advantage of the cycle opportunities the area does have to offer, both in the city and its surroundings.

“We are accessible to all means of transportation. I think we are quite known for our means of alternative transportation around our city,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think we have the infrastructure to support (bike lanes), but I do think we have all sorts of opportunity to make that happen.”

Hamilton said the Battlefords are a good area to enjoy a multitude of trails, nature walks and treks off the beaten path. And it is possible to commute through the city core, Hamilton said, adding as long as bikers obey the same rules of the road, the traffic flow would be accommodating despite the lack of bike lanes.

“I think we all have to respect each other’s areas of the road and we all have to respect that bikers have to be cognisant of their areas and the rules of the road because they are vehicles,” Hamilton said. “They are a part of the overall traffic issue.”

The trend towards a reliance on a car has grown since vehicles became more affordable and easier to access. Hamilton said while he was growing up in the Battlefords, it was the other way around; a bicycle was one of the primary modes of transportation in town – especially for young people.

“We encourage it; when I grew up, everybody rode a bike,” said Hamilton. “Now you don’t see it all that much anymore.”

The national campaign of Bike to Work Week is up and running until June 5.

 

Email: colleen.smith@jpbg.ca

Twitter: ColleenAJSmith