The recent addition of what appears to be bike lanes on Delrex has led some to believe that parking has been impacted. The picture of the cyclist was taken on Delrex near Maple Ave. In fact there has been no change to the parking permitted on Delrex as a result of the painted lines.
Although the lines effectively move the traffic to the centre of the road and provide a safe refuge for cyclists, these are not official bike lanes. You will not see any signage indicating that it is an official bike lane.
Prior to the lines being installed, all of the residents of Delrex Blvd. were sent a letter by the Town explaining the role and function of the lane markings.
Parking is still permitted in the lane and cyclists will have to go around parked cars. However, the reality is that there are very few cars parked along Delrex and so the lanes do function as if they were official lanes most of the time.
The result is that it is much safer for cyclists and as a bonus, the traffic tends to go slower with the narrower lane for cars.
On Danby Road in Georgetown South there was more room in the road allowance and staff were able to paint both a bike lane and a parking area. This is illustrated in the photo taken on Danby Road with a car parked next to the curb and a bike lane beside the car.
These are the first 'on road' bike lanes to be added to Georgetown streets and represent the first steps in implementing the Halton Hills Cycling Master Plan. The rest of the draft plan can be viewed at http://www.haltonhills.ca/cycling/index.php
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