Cyclists reclaim St. John's streets at pro-bike event

Cyclists gathered at Bannerman Park in St. John's on Friday evening to send a message to drivers and to the City of St. John's: bikers have a right to the roads too.

It was all part of an event called Critical Mass that happens all over the world, once a month, on Friday evenings.

The Critical Mass ride in St. John's was particularly relevant because city council is considering getting rid of some of the bike lanes and scrapping their long-term cycling plan.

Cyclist Robin Whitaker said bikers want their voices heard on the debate.

"It's kind of a public statement about biking, and the idea that bikes belong on the roads, just as much as cars do. So one of the slogans is, 'We're not blocking traffic. We are traffic," said Whitaker.

Evan Grey also turned out for the event. He rides his bike every day, and said it's his main mode of transportation.

"We're just trying to raise awareness. We have a right to the road, the same right that the cars do, and a lot of people don't know that," he said.

Grey scoffed when he was asked about the city getting rid of bike lanes.

"Most people here would actually answer that with a question, 'What bike lanes?' Military Road, downtown — there's actually no bike lanes, so I don't know what bike lanes they're talking about," he said.

Whitaker was more diplomatic about the city's bike lane conundrum.

"Everybody's heard the comments from some councillors about how nobody wants to bike here, and bike lanes aren't important. So this is kind of a key moment to make a public statement about the fact that there are people who ride and there are lots of people who want to ride too," she said.

"But they may feel a bit nervous because we don't have a good cycling infrastructure."

Whitaker said Friday's ride was a great opportunity for people who may want to cycle, but are jittery about narrow streets and all the traffic. She said there's safety in numbers.

"You're not isolated so much. You know, often we're outnumbered when we're biking among cars. Tonight, we have a chance to bike with a group," she said.

Both Whitaker and Grey were pleased with Friday night's turnout, and they said they hope the city moves forward with a cycling plan.