Biking In Barrie Sucks

I love Barrie. But as a cyclist, this is certainly an un-friendly city.

I can't think of one road in Barrie that has a lane devoted to bikes. Not one.

Ottawa - what an awesome city! Lanes strictly for bikes, help the biker to feel safe and the traffic to anticipate other traffic.

Peterborough - not as bike-friendly as Ottawa, but not far behind. A number of roads have bike- only lanes.

But Barrie - yikes! Even the bike path that shadows the Bay is strangled by the high volume of unleashed pets or pets on extremely long leashes. And there's the people who wander aimlessly on the bike side of the path, instead of the walking side. (There is a separate path for walkers) Not to mention the outrageous curbs that would easily flatten your tire if you took them head-on. Of course the lakeshore in Barrie has been under construction for three summers - 3! Why? Because they want to move Lakeshore Drive ten feet away to the old rail-line. Ten feet! Millions of dollars to move a road ten feet!

Meanwhile, up in the east end, Nelson Street is cut up with choppy, replaced pavement heaped over previous replaced pavement, that's cracked from harsh winters and obviously neglected by the City Of Barrie.

Biking in Barrie is lousy. Sometimes I wished I lived in Ottawa. (What do I mean "sometimes"?!!)