Dear editor,

Perhaps Erik Eriksson鈥檚 letter to the editor will get a detailed response from Courtenay city council to his queries about the proposed 6th Street pedestrian/bike bridge but as an occasional cyclist and a frequent driver over the 5th Street bridge, I can offer these answers to his first two questions:

Question 1: Why not just cantilever (widen) the bridge to include bike lanes?

This would enable cyclists to ride across the bridge but does not deal with the problem stretch of road between the bridge and Cliffe Avenue - this stretch of road cannot be widened and there is no room for a dedicated bike lane.  Cyclists and motorists therefore have to share this quite steep and busy section of road, sometimes resulting in a slow line of traffic behind a cyclist struggling up the hill!

Enabling cyclists to bypass this section of 5th Street will decrease the risk of accidents and also assist with traffic flow.

Question 2: Why is it double the cost of the Elk Falls suspension bridge?

Firstly, the Elk Falls suspension bridge was completed in 2015 and according to the Bank of Canada consumer price index, prices have increased by 27 per cent since then.

Secondly, the Elk Falls suspension bridge is a pedestrian-only bridge that is only wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.  

Thirdly, a pedestrian and bike bridge would need to be a more robust structure - when you walk across the Elk Falls suspension bridge, you can feel it move in response to your footsteps.  Trying to cycle on a suspension bridge like this would be both difficult and dangerous.

I therefore hope that the council will be able to start work on the 6th Street bridge soon since I see it as a very beneficial addition to our city's infrastructure.

Rod Montague

Courtenay