MANITOULIN-While many Island groups and individuals continue to petition for the widening of the Highway 6 paved shoulders, they have yet to receive any confirmation that this may be a possibility.
The 2010 Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) conference in late February did not lead to any further advancement on the issue of requesting wider paved shoulders during the scheduled repaving of the roadway in 2010. The Assiginack Township delegation requested a meeting with the new Minister of Transportation, Kathleen Wynne, but was denied their request.
Clyde Rohn, an Assiginack councilor, feels frustration with the lack of government response to the pleas for 100 centimetres of pavement on Highway 6, to benefit cyclists, motorists and other roadway users.
"It doesn't matter who you talk to," said Mr. Rohn. "It seems we need a serious incident for something to happen."
Mr. Rohn is currently looking for a way to bring more attention to this situation. "There's got to be something we can do to really bring this to the forefront," he said. "We need to get people in Southern Ontario involved, we need to make a splash."
Reeve Leslie Fields expressed the idea that the desire for the widening of the Highway 6 shoulders is more than just the need for cycling lanes. "They are trying to make Manitoulin a destination for people who enjoy a healthy lifestyle," she said.
Reeve Fields also feels that the benefits of wider paved shoulder could include the extension of the service life of the highway, and believes that avenue may be worth pursuing.
Indeed, the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration has published a technical advisory regarding paved highway shoulders. This advisory notes that "over the years, the function of shoulders adjacent to mainline pavements has broadened considerably." Some of these added functions of note include the reduction of edge stresses, reduction in the development of pavement edge drop-offs, the expedition of water runoff from the travel lanes, and for usage as bicycle paths and slow-moving vehicles and equipment lanes.
Another US-based document of paved shoulder positives comes through the Monadnock Region Transportation Management Association. It has published a Municipal Guide to Travel Demand Management. The guide refers to paved shoulders as a way to "accommodate bicyclists in rural areas and benefit motor vehicle traffic," but also states that "paved shoulders can extend the service life of the road surface since edge deterioration will be significantly reduced."
Closer to home, Ontario's York Region has published Planning and Design Guidelines for a bicycle network. This document also states that paved shoulders can extend the service life of a road, and lists numerous other advantages such as reduced maintenance costs associated with grading of gravel shoulders, accommodation of emergency vehicles, and the reduction of collisions.
Dave Hunt, a former Ministry of Transportation employee (MTO) who worked on a bicycle policy review in 1992, is currently a member of the Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee as well as a member of the Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Club and a CAN-BIKE cycling safety instructor. He has been contacted by Island cycling advocates regarding the Highway 6 project.
Mr. Hunt explained that, in the past, the MTO project management staff have always been "driven by engineering factors such as cost, traffic volumes and related design specifications."
Mr. Hunt suggests that the next step for Islanders be to try and obtain a meeting with the MTO Minister, in order to express concerns in person. "Letters can only go so far and a meeting is much more personal and dynamic," he explained. "If this approach is adopted a good case has to be organized to support your viewpoints. For example, I am sure that information is available about the many benefits of paved shoulders (to all road users, the MTO bottom line, as well as cyclists) which should be researched and tabulated."
He also explained that another important approach is to gain support from tourism groups, health departments and safety organizations, and having them write letters and attend meetings.
Mr. Hunt has personally sent a letter to the MTO Minister Wynne, asking for consideration for the widening of the highway shoulders to one metre. One point he brought forward was the importance of the Ontario Bicycling Route (OBR), which is an on-road cycling network which connects all regions of the province.
Mr. Hunt explained that the OBR on Manitoulin is primarily located on the secondary highways of Manitoulin, rather than Highway 6. By creating paved shoulders on Highway 6, a more direct route would be available to cyclists, as well as allow for two OBR routes on Manitoulin.
When asked what area residents should be doing in order to add some urgency to their plea, Mr. Hunt said: "Letter writing to staff, local MPPs and the MTO minister," as well as "attending any local public information meetings on the project."
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