Went up into Gatineau Park for a fantastic ride this morning.
We rarely think about it because we’re so used to it, but it’s actually pretty amazing to have this huge park right on our doorstep — with pristine roads that are ideal for cycling.
And Ottawans embrace Gatineau Park. Go stand at the Gamelin St. entrance on a weekend day and you will see hundreds of cyclists heading up to enjoy the park. It’s great.
But there is a down side: There are growing conflicts between cyclists and drivers on the parkways.
It wasn’t much of a problem in years past, when there were fewer cyclists and not as many drivers took the shortcut through the park to and from work. But as the communities around Chelsea and Wakefield and further north grew, and the number of cyclists ballooned, there have been more and more close calls.
Attitudes have evolved in recent years among the police, the National Capital Commission, drivers and cyclist. Some changes are positive, others not so much.
In the coming weeks I’ll be talking to some of the key players who are trying to help ease this conflict.