N.E. bike lane raises safety worries

A new dedicated bike lane on a bridge in northeast Calgary has some commuters worried that the road is too narrow to be shared safely.

The bridge at Eighth Avenue and Deerfoot Trail N.E. is a popular shortcut into the downtown core for both cyclists and motorists.

"You have to watch out, it's just too narrow for a dedicated bike lane. There's a big wall so you can't get out of the way if they get too close," said Rob Tholl, who rides his mountain bike across the bridge every day.

"If there's a big car and a big car trying to pass you run out of room."

Elbow Valley Cycle Club member Don Hollingshead agreed, saying the city should have continued to let cars and bikes integrate on the route, rather than trying to keep them apart in separate lanes.

Truck driver Lloyd Layte also said the bike lane designations in the middle of the road are unsafe.

"It's going to cause accidents, guaranteed. Sometimes cyclists don't pay attention when a vehicle is behind them," he said.

There have been no reports of accidents on the bridge since the bike lane was added.