Sudbury cyclists to ride with pool noodles to show 1-metre rule

How significant is a metre of space? That is the distance that drivers are required by law to leave between the side of theirvehicles and a cyclist they are passing along a street orroad in Ontario.

The one-metre rule was added to the Ontario Highway Traffic Actin August 2015. Butnot all motorists are familiar with the new law, saysRachelleNiemela, chair of the Sudbury Cyclists Union.

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And that's why the group is starting an educational campaign to show what the gap looks like.

Niemela says cyclists will attachfoam pool noodles to their bikes' handlebars. The noodle will stick out one metre from the edge of the bike to show how much space they need.

Too many close calls

Too many cyclists have had close calls while pedaling in heavy traffic in Greater Sudbury, Niemela says.

"They're in a hurry. They need to get somewhere and they give you about six inches of room as they pass," Niemela said.

"That's not too bad if it's a bottleneck and if the traffic is slow, but when cars are going by you at60- or 70-kilometres-an-hour, that can be pretty scary."

The fine for not leaving one-metre of space when passing a cyclist is $110and two demerit points.

Niemela says more details about the campaign will be revealed at the Sudbury Cyclists Union annual general meeting on April 4, at 7 p.m., at theMcEwenSchool of ArchitectureatLaurentian University.

City planning cycling improvements

The guest speaker at the meeting will be MarisaTalarico, Greater Sudbury's newly hiredactive transportation co-ordinator.

Niemelasays she is excited about what Talarico will have to say about the future of cycling in Sudbury. She notes the city has plans to improve cycling infrastructure along specific streets.

The Sudbury Cycling Union has been told those plans could include a raised cycling track along the Notre Dame Avenue and Paris Streetcorridor.

Other streets being considered for cycling infrastructure improvementsare LasalleBoulevard,BarrydowneRoad, Second Avenue,BancroftDrive, Kelly Lake Road andLorneStreet.

In the meantime, Niemelasays shehopes the upcoming improvements will provide some relief for cycling enthusiasts who may be too afraid to take their bikes out in busySudbury traffic.

"It's not only those who are currently on bike, it's all those other people who say, 'I would bike if I felt safer'," she said.

"I think that message has to get out ... there's more of us than people really think there are."