Bike Lanes in Victoria

Bike Lanes

Emma Rossum

February 26, 2018

According to the Fort Street protected bike lane project, “in addition to the bike lane on Fort Street, the City will be enhancing select crosswalks and sidewalks, adding new street trees and benches, and undertaking important underground utility upgrades.” These improved amenities will help make the corridor more enjoyable and safer for all users. Protected bike lanes will act as a safety barrier between bikers and vehicles, as well as a safer sidewalk for pedestrians to utilize.

When the Fort Street protected bike lane project is complete, “it will include a two-way, physically protected bike lane with new traffic signals on the north side of Fort Street, from Wharf to Cook Street.” These bike lanes will be on the north side of Fort Street and will serve as an east to the west connection. The lanes will extend 5.4 kilometres for now, and eventually range up to 32 kilometres.

Having protected bike lanes will potentially help avoid conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles along with cyclists. Because Fort Street is a daily commute for thousands, bike lanes will help relieve traffic delays due to fewer cars on the road, as well as less air pollution. Protected, improved and smooth bike lanes will encourage more residents to swap their vehicles for bicycles. This will contribute to the shift of Victoria’s transportation modes.

On the other hand, the construction involved with creating these bike lanes has and will continue to frustrate business owners and pedestrians. Although these lanes will hopefully contribute to less vehicle traffic and traffic delays, with bike lanes will come lane reductions. Having fewer lanes along Fort Street will potentially slow traffic down, and can also create more delayed traffic. A study done by Statistics Canada claims that just under 7% of daily commuters in Victoria commute by bicycle, so the construction of these lanes are clearly not for the majority of residents.

With this protected bike lane project, Victoria’s city council is hoping to encourage vehicle commuters to, “pick two wheels over four to protect our health and the environment.”

References

http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/transportation/cycling/biketoria-fort-st.html

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-bike-lane-cost-stirs-anger-1.23120805

Tweeting Exercise

CMNS 165
Tweeting Exercise

Morning

Information: Two grade 12 students at Central High were involved in an accident when their car skidded into a tree along a deserted road.  The accident occurred at 2:00 am today. Both students, John Raake and Fred Hohe, were admitted to Victoria General Hospital. You do not know the extent of their injuries, but paramedics indicated they are not life threatening.

Your Tweet: Two students are in hospital with non-life threatening injuries after their car skidded into a tree this morning at 2:00 am. They are seniors at Central High and are recovering at Victoria General Hospital.

Mid-afternoon

Information: You have just learned that the police are charging both students with underage drinking and the driver (Raake) with driving under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, the passenger (Hohe) is being charged with possession of a controlled substance for a small bag of cocaine that was found in his possession. Both sustained only minor injuries in the accident.

Your Tweet: Both students involved in a car accident this morning are being charged with underage drinking. The driver is being charged with a DUI, and the passenger is being charged for drug possession. The two suffered minor injuries.

Early Evening

Information: Both are starting players on Central High’s Provincial Champion Rugby team.  The principal, James Hardnose has issued a statement that both students are immediately suspended from practicing and laying rugby with the school team because the charges involve illegal use of alcohol and other drugs. The principal cites a school policy, signed by both the players and their parents.

Your Tweet: Both students involved in the accident this morning are being charged with illegal use of alcohol and drugs. The two are being suspended from Central High’s Provincial Champion Rugby team, says school principal, James Hardnose.

Free Tuition For All!

Danish students receive government funding, on top of free tuition (Lawrence, 2017). Here in Canada, we receive government grants (if we apply, and are eligible) on top of heavy debt. For Canadians to attend post-secondary, they must put their lives and their mental health on pause.

Free tuition is good because students are struggling, and it is not being talked about enough. Education is the path to a reliable income, for example, “British Columbians with an undergraduate post-secondary degree can expect to earn an additional $827,000 over their lifetime” (Davison, 2017).

Focusing on funding ones’ education puts a hold on the lives of not only the student, but their family and significant others as well. It puts a hold on health, travelling, investing, saving and family planning. Attending post-secondary is a huge commitment.

My 27-year-old sister wants to go to post-secondary. She has a toddler, a house mortgage and a wedding come September. With both her and her fiancé working as much as they can, while also parenting, it is near impossible for her to attend school. She wants to better herself, and give her family a better life, but it isn’t possible right now.

According to an article by the Vancouver Sun, “we’re not taking care of our education system in B.C. There is rust and there are cracks. I genuinely wish the mentality of ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps,’ ‘keep your head down and work hard’ were enough, but they’re not. Here’s why: Tuition has skyrocketed, many students hold multiple jobs but can’t make ends meet and the average student debt is $35,000” (2017).

Tuition is not the only expense. Going to post-secondary comes with living expenses, rent, groceries and car insurance. Having free tuition and free education takes off a layer of added stress. Free tuition does not mean free rent, groceries or car insurance. Having free education allows students to focus more on their education, rather than rushing through class to get to work and make a living.

Another reason why I hope for free tuition in Canada is the relationship between mental illness and financial struggles. According to Statistics Canada, “those affected with mental illness may not be able to cope with the simplest aspects of everyday life” (2017). The first few words in a Global News article regarding mental illness are ‘you know the millennials predicaments: student debt…’ (Chai, 2017).

High tuition costs create more than just financial stresses. According to the Vancouver Sun, “65 per cent of students have felt overwhelming anxiety; and 44 per cent have felt so depressed that they’ve had difficulty functioning” (Davison, 2017).

 This goes to show that studies have been done, and financial issues such as student debt and fees are at fault for the poor mental health of some students. Putting life on hold for 2, 4 or even 8 years to afford post-secondary is not an option for everyone, and ignoring ones’ mental health is not ideal. Free tuition would make education a possibility.

References:

Chai, C. (2017). Why more Canadian millennials than ever are at ‘high risk’ of mental health issues. Global News. Retrieved on February 15^th from https://globalnews.ca/news/3417600/why-more-canadian-millennials-than-ever-are-at-high-risk-of-mental-health-issues/

Davison, G. A. (2017). Opinion: The true cost of B.C.’s post-secondary education. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved on February 15^th from http://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/opinion-the-true-cost-of-b-c-s-post-secondary-education

Lawrence, D. (2017). Free university tuition with a side of salary, please. The Globe And Mail. Retrieved on February 14^th from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadian-university-report/free-university-tuition-with-a-side-of-salary-please/article32408409/

(2017) Mental illness. Statistics Canada. Retrieved on February 14^th from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-illness.html