To the editor:
Re: "Bicycle politics polarize and distract from debate," July 4.
I would like to correct an error, then provide some good news. Sharrows are not the same as painted bike lanes; they are bike symbols with two chevrons above them, located on roads where there isn't quite enough room for a bike lane. In our study, they were not an improvement to road safety.
On the other hand, we found that many changes made by the City of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»have resulted in much improved safety: separated bike lanes; residential street bikeways (even better with traffic diversion); painted bike lanes (even better where they are not between parked and moving cars); and off-street bike paths. It is wonderful to see changes that promote this healthy mode of travel and make it even safer.
Prof. Kay Teschke, UBC School of Population and Public Health
