Western student calls for expanded, protected bike lanes on Sarnia Rd., after being hit by LTC bus

Fourth-year Western University student Joshua Masters is calling on the city to build a protected bike lane along the length of Sarnia Rd. after he was clipped by a London Transit Commission (LTC) bus on his commute to school earlier this month.

"Thankfully, I'm okay. I just have a broken arm," said Masters, who describes the incident as very traumatic.

Just before noon on Oct. 3, Masters was riding his bike down Sarnia Road, eastbound at Coombs Avenue, a section that does not have a painted bike lane. Masters had just gotten back on the road from the sidewalk after encountering pedestrians.

Masters regularly rides on the sidewalk on Sarnia Road for his personal safety, he said. 

The bike lane stops. Abruptly, actually.- Fourth-year Western University student, Joshua Masters

The painted bike lane on Sarnia Road ends at Castlegrove Boulevard and Sleighthome Avenue.

"I was on the side of the road and a city bus came from behind and got very close and ended up clipping me in the arm with its mirror," he said. 

"Thankfully [the driver] stopped and and called the ambulance," said Masters.

London Police investigated the incident but laid no charges, said Cont. Kyrsten Howell-Harries. CBC News also reached out to the London Transit Commission and has so far not received a response.

Though he doesn't believe he was at fault, Masters didn't want the driver to be charged and instead blames the city for lagging on building more protected bike lanes. "I've heard so many other stories of collisions similar to mine but they ended up a lot worse. Cyclists have died in the past," he said.

Last month, Jibin Benoy was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle along Hamilton Road in the early hours of Sept. 18. He was later found and taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries. 

Masters relayed his story to mayoral candidate Josh Morgan shortly after the incident, who told Masters he investigated what more the city is doing for cyclists on that stretch of road.

"Completing gaps in the cycling infrastructure is critically important and incidents like this demonstrate the need to move faster on the high-frequency cycling corridors," said Morgan

"We have a serious problem at the moment with cycling infrastructure on many roads in London just cutting out," said Molly Miksa, London Cycle Link executive director.

"The infrastructure on Sarnia Road just dumps cyclists into the middle of traffic as they approach the university. It's not inviting or encouraging or safe to ride a bike on Sarnia Road past Sleighholme Avenue (and) Castegrove Boulevard, and we need to do better, before 2025 (as currently scheduled), and before another cyclist is killed."

The city "is planning to construct new protected bike lanes to complete gaps in the cycling network in all four directions from the [Western Rd and Philip Aziz Ave] intersection," said Doug MacRae the city's director of transportation and mobility.

An environmental assessment is currently underway and is expected early in the new year.

"I think my days of road-biking are over," said Masters, who will be in his splint and sling for another four-to-six weeks. "If I do start biking to school again, I'm going to take a different route."