WHEREAS governments invest in the provision of cycling lanes adjacent to provincial roadways to promote healthy lifestyles and provide alternatives to single occupancy vehicles; AND WHEREAS gravel and other debris on the cycling paths pose a risk to cyclists and act as an impediment to the use of alternative modes of transportation: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM urge the Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure to amend road maintenance contracts to increase the frequency of bike lane and highway shoulder sweeping.
Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry, through its maintenance contractors, provides many maintenance services that benefit cyclists e.g., shoulder sweeping, debris removal, line painting, pavement maintenance etc.. Ministry staff regularly meet with the maintenance contractor to discuss the needs of all road users, including cyclists. The sweeping of highway shoulders is provided as part of the Ministrys maintenance contracts. Highway conditions are monitored and sweeping is completed each spring, and when debris accumulates and creates a safety concern for highway users. In areas of higher cycling traffic, the Ministry and the maintenance contractor will evaluate the amount of sweeping occurring to determine if the frequency of sweeping is appropriate for the amount of cycling traffic on that road. The Ministry will consider the benefits and extra cost of additional sweeping and will work with communities across the province to identify areas for consideration of additional service.