Share The Road

Monday, 28 April 2014 20:09

Members of the Oxford Cycling Advisory Committee along with local dignitaries give a "Thumbs Up!" to Sharing the Road Monday.

Oxford County and members of the Oxford Cycling Advisory Committee celebrate new signs with bike ride.

INNERKIP -- Oxford County motorists -- it's time to share the road.

The same message is going out to cyclists after the County and members of the Oxford Cycling Advisory Committee announced the installation of new "Share the Road" signs Monday with of all things...a bike ride!

It's all part of a Share the Road bike safety awareness campaign, called "Thumbs Up! Sharing the road for safer travel."

Supervisor of Engineering Services and Cycling Committee Co-Chair, Frank Gross says the new signs have been posted throughout the county to remind both drivers and riders alike.

"Yeah, they're going to see the share the road signs on roads as we implement them, they're going to remind them cyclists do use the road, and also to remind cyclists that motorists are out there as well."

Some of the thing to remember for motorists are to treat a bicycle as a slow moving vehicle and pass only when the road is clear. Also when travelling and sharing the road, it's important for all users to give the right amount of space -- more than a metre of space between the car and rider when passing is sufficient.

Cyclists also have to adhere to the same rules and have the same rights as drivers on the road. Drivers and cyclists also need to show patience, and try to communicate with other road users while acting predictable at the same time.

Still, sharing the road can be a tough sell for daily commuters using both cars or bicycles. Gross says the new "Share the Road" signs dotting the county will serve as as that cautious reminder.

"A bicycle is still a vehicle under the highway traffic act, so motorists are to follow the rules of the road just like if it was a farm vehicle or another vehicle, they have to follow those same rules of the road."

The first "Share the Road" signs were installed in December at key areas along four different County roads. Plans are underway for more signs to be located on County and Township roads going forward.

Gross says the Oxford Cycling Advisory Committee helped select where the new signs would be located.

"We looked at routes that connected between communities, that lead to more preferred routes on roads with less traffic and that the cyclists preferred to ride and on roads where we already had the wider asphalt platform."

The first "Share the Road" signs were installed during the first week of December at key areas along four different County roads.

Members of Cycling Advisory Committee recognized the installation of the new signs Monday with a celebratory bike ride past some of the new signs, located along Oxford Road 33, from County Road 6 through to Innerkip.

Other road sharing signs have been installed along County Road 4 from Lansdowne to the 16th Line, County Road 9 from Woodstock to Ingersoll and County Road 20 from Highway 19 to Delmar.

Plans are underway for more signs to be located on County and Township roads going forward.