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Roadway neglect threatens cyclists

I am a Mount Lorne resident, recreational bicycle rider and bike guide for the Golden Circle (Haines-Whitehorse-Skagway). I also bike commute to work, in the area and occasionally to Whitehorse.

I am a Mount Lorne resident, recreational bicycle rider and bike guide for the Golden Circle (Haines-Whitehorse-Skagway). I also bike commute to work, in the area and occasionally to Whitehorse.

I have always appreciated the paved shoulder on the Haines Highway and the Alaska Highway that allows room for both bikes and vehicles. Why doesn’t the Carcross road have a maintained shoulder for the same purpose? How much longer are we going to endanger ourselves both on bikes and in vehicles because the roadway is not maintained wide enough?

In most places along the Carcross Road the area for a six-foot shoulder exists. It simply is not utilized and maintained. It would benefit everyone to have an area free from loose gravel and wide enough for both vehicles and bikes to pass safely. It would also be valuable to have a space to safely pull your vehicle over in an emergency. This is an achievable goal.

For those of you that have had to swerve over in the on-coming lane while passing folks just trying to enjoy a bike ride, it is appreciated, but it should not endanger you. As a guide I have winced as vehicles including ore trucks have passed less than two to three feet of a client on a curve with no shoulder or one littered with loose gravel. It’s not pretty. Especially when another vehicle is approaching in the oncoming lane.

We should not wait until someone dies while enjoying getting exercise on our beautiful roadways. We should be supporting and encouraging bike riding, not letting people risk their lives. People would bike more often if an adequate lane existed.

In order to promote tourism, support healthy living and increase the safety of roadways, I ask the Yukon government to act responsibly and widen the shoulder on the Carcross road.

Lee Close

Mount Lorne