Bicycle Path of Disaster in Ajax, Ontario

I used to live in Ajax, Ontario up to about a year ago.  While there for some 20 years, I worked for the Town and also tried to get into politics.  In recent years bicycle paths were a contentious item.  The mayor and majority of his council wanted them, so they got them.  Residents that I talked to mostly didn't care or hated them.  There were those, mostly seniors, who did not like sharing the sidewalk with bicycle.

Recently I drove through Ajax and noticed a few things.  First, the city limit signs now say a "Bicycle Friendly Community" as well as mentioning a "Share the Road" organization.  I also noticed new painting of the paths.  If I were a parent of a child who rides a bike, or bicycllst, in the area I would be concerned.  Traditionally bicycle paths have been at the edge of the road with a line drawn from the curb, stating where the bikes should travel.  There was also at times a graphic with chevrons and a bike showing which way to go.

These new marking are frequently in the middle of the two road directions or in the middle of one direction!  Also, where the old paths looked like enough room for one bike, so you had to ride in a single file(which I believe is provincial law), now there are no lines!  Just a graphic that is wide enough for 3 or 4 bikes to ride beside each other.  With these new graphics and position, it's the bikes that aren't sharing the road and vehicle drivers are getting a lot less room to move around.  So theortically, young bikers may be inclined to ride beside each other while they are riding in the middle of roadways or farther out from the curb.  This is a recipe for disaster.  It will only take a split second for a collision when a driver and/or bike rider aren't paying attention.  Mark my words... accidents will happen... if they already haven't.

If you are going to spend the residents tax money on bike paths or lanes, what's wrong with sharing the sidewalk?  Widen them a bit if you have to.  Then, put a line dividing the sidewalk to let bikers now where they should go.  Wouldn't seem a lot safer?  Pedestrian and bike collisions would be a lot less tramatic then vehicle and bike collisions.  Not that anyone wants them to happen, but, mistakes do happen.

If I was running for council anywhere... and I am not... I would make "Share the Sidewalk" one of my campaign items.  "Share the Sidewalk" may save lives.

Rob MacArthur
www.robmac.org

Tim Horton's Not Being Supportive of Your Health or the Environment

First of all, let me state that I am a good Tim Horton's customer.  I frequent their getting coffee, breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  But lately their have been a few things that have been bugging me about this Canadian Institution.

First of all, the way Tim Horton's assigns staff does not speak well of their support of our health and the environment.  In most of the Tim Horton's I have been to, and I have been to a lot, they usually schedule at least double the employees on the drive thru then they do on the inside to handle walkin customers.  This tells customers that it is better to be in the drive thru line then walking into establishment.  This is bad for your health as at least walking in would stretch your muscles and give you some exercise.  This is bad for the environment as you have all those vehicles with their engines running.  Would it not be much better to entice customers to park and turn off their car and walk in to get whatever they want?  Schedule more staff for the walk in customers and less for the drive thru.  If drivers end up waiting to long in the drive thru, they may actually help their health and the environment by parking their car and going on.

The second thing that bugs me about Tim Hortons is Christmas time.  Like so many other businesses they don't have Merry Christmas in their stores for the most part.  They usually wimp out by saying Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings... or... by saying nothing at all.  This is Canada...  They are Canadian... Say at least Merry Christmas...  Better yet... put all the different greetings up.  But our heritage is Merry Christmas.  I am sure if Tim Horton was alive today, he would agree.  There has been some movement in recent years in North America to boycott stores of the Christmas Holidays that don't display at least Merry Christmas.

Finally... the addition of Ice Cream.  I know they piloted the coldstone ice cream in the States.  But, it would have been nice if they gave a chance to a Canadian Ice Cream vendor to have the opportunity in Canada to go into the Canadian Tim Horton's.   If you are Canadian... Support Canadian.

Think about it Tim Horton's.... Keep the Canadian Way... Tim would have wanted it that way...

R.