A private member’s bill from Progressive Conservative Norm Miller calls for a one-metre paved shoulder to be added whenever a secondary highway is repaved. The bill passed second reading last Thursday, and has support from all three parties.
The paved shoulder would let vehicles pass cyclists without veering into the lane of oncoming traffic. An Australian study found that collisions between bikes and vehicles declined by 41 percent on roads with paved shoulders, and Quebec has seen a drop of 66 percent over ten years since adding paved shoulders.
The bill would not affect limited-access highways such as the 401, which do not permit cycling.
The recent hit-and-run on County Rd. 22 is an example of a collision that may have been prevented if paved shoulders were present.
Private members bills often do not pass without extensive lobbying, so we encourage you to write your MPP in support of the bill. Dwight Duncan, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh can be reached at dduncan.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org and Sandra Pupatello, MPP for Windsor West can be reached at spupatello.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Source: CBC Toronto