Are some new LTC stops dangerous to bus riders and cyclists?

London, Ont. -

The safety of several new London Transit bus stops is being questioned.

‘Integrated bus stops’ require passengers to exit the bus directly into a bike lane, creating the potential for a collision.

“I feel a little unsafe every time I get off the bus here,” admits Camila Valim at the corner of Dundas and Maitland streets. “ You have to look to make sure nothing is coming.”

Samuel Nyarko, owner of Afro Beauty Looks, says several customers have complained about the stop.

Nyarko has seen near misses, “The bus is stopping, a bike is coming, when is the door opening?”

A report to the London Transit Commission (LTC) raises safety concerns about the design that requires shared-space, and that similar stops are being installed this summer along Colborne, Brydges, and Wavell.

“A transit rider may be alighting from the back door, and may Step directly into the path of a cyclist,” the report warns.

“I’m really disappointed something like this would happen,” says Councillor Phil Squire who chairs the commission. “It’s indicative of what sometimes happens at city hall. People get siloed doing bike lanes, or it may be roads, and they don’t adequately consult with other groups like LTC.”

But not everyone views the integrated stops with the same concern.

“When I come up to this stop or another one, I always slow down,” explains Jamieson Robert’s, an avid bicycle rider who lives near the stop on Dundas Street.

Roberts says integrated bus stops occur in other cities where there isn’t enough right of way to accommodate separate transit and cycling infrastructure.

“It’s far better for a pedestrian and a cyclist to have to negotiate shared space, than a cyclist and a car,” he adds.

City hall and London Transit have committed to a ‘robust’ communications strategy to educate Londoners about safely sharing the spaces.

Squire isn’t convinced.

“A communications strategy doesn’t trump safety, and the best thing for safety is to keep bike lanes away from bus stops.”

The London Transit Commission will receive a report about the safety concerns at its June 30 meeting.