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Website: http://rawlsonking.com
Phone: 613-868-1860

"Rawlson King, running for Ottawa City Council in Ward 13, Rideau-Rockcliffe, supports safe cycling in the City of Ottawa and fully endorses the recommendations made by Citizens for Safe Cycling.

In particular, I fully support an acceleration of the development of bicycle lane infrastructure, as proposed under the current Ottawa Cycling Plan. I believe we need to specifically link the existing City-wide biking network, especially within the greenbelt and other parkland, with a completed network of bike lanes on city streets that are physically separated from motor traffic to enhance the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of the network. Further, we need to assess certain bike corridors in relation to other road traffic to ensure the safety of cyclists.

I also believe we need to introduce bike boxes within highly trafficked cycling corridors. A bike box is a term that has gained popularity in the United States for a European treatment usually known as the advanced stop bar. The box is a right-angle extension to a bike lane at the head of the intersection. The box allows cyclists to get to the head of the traffic queue on a red traffic signal indication and then proceed first when the traffic signal changes to green. Such movement is beneficial to cyclists and eliminates conflicts when, for example, there are many right-turning motor vehicles next to a right-side bike lane. Being in the box, and thus at the front of the traffic queue, also tends to make cyclists more visible to motorists.

In the long term however, I support instituting a “complete streets policy” for key new main arterial roads to ensure that Ottawa’s transportation planners and engineers begin to design and operate entire roadways with all users in mind, including: bicyclists, transit vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

Rawlson King's policy positions and outlook on cycling in the City of Ottawa is available at http://www.rawlsonking.com/index.php/2010/07/28/ottawa-needs-more-safe-cycling/ "