Portfolio Post #11 -Civic Issues

This activity is based around the Grade 10 Civics curriculum and has really driven home the point about the importance of engaging students in meaningful and dynamic activities. What better way to teach students about civic responsibility than to encourage them to participate in the resolution of a civic issue?

Bike Lanes – Share the Road

Expectations:

-Compare the varied beliefs, values, and points of view of Canadian citizens on issues of public interest. --Analyze Canadian issues or events that involve contrasting opinions, perspectives, and civic purposes

Issue: The main issue here is road safety and on taking perspectives as potential future drivers and as potential cyclists. Although there are Driver education programs available for those who wish to drive a car, there is little education devoted to road safety and rules for cyclists, either for drivers or for cyclists themselves. As Canada becomes more environmentally conscious, it is important also, to become more conscious of how to safely share the road with cyclists. Should there be explicit education on road safety? Should there be bike lanes everywhere?

Sources:

http://www.sharetheroad.ca/

Share the Road is a provincial organization devoted to cycle safety. The organization was founded by Eleanor McMahon whose husband was killed by a motorist while riding his bicycle. Through her work with this organization, McMahon has been successful in her civic action through the creation of Bill 126, known as “Greg’s Law” in memory of her husband. Below is a copy of the Share the Road Kingston Bike Summit that took place this year. If possible, attending a summit like this could make an interesting field trip for a civics class.

http://www.sharetheroad.ca/files/Full_Bike_Summit_Agenda.pdf

The following link is to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website for their guide for cyclists. This guide outlines certain rules, responsibilities, and consequences for both drivers and cyclists. I think that this is important for students to know and to research what the provincial government has to say about cycling as well as to understand that cyclists have responsibilities as well as rights.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml

The following link is to an article from the Toronto Star last week about the introduction of bike lanes to a certain area of Toronto, the work that went into developing those, and the impact that they are having. I think that it is important to recognize that, as much as road safety is a provincial issue; road works and development are municipal issues, so the two need to work together in order to enact change.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/06/09/torontos_first_dedicated_bike_lanes_on_sherbourne_start_of_bigger_network.html

Text:

In order to develop their understanding of government in regards to this issue, students will need to read Unit 2 sections 2.1 Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities, 2.4 Public Policy, and 3.1 Political Participation of Nelson’s Civics Now, which can be found on the Trillium List of approved textbooks.

Opinions:

The opinions that can be explored depend on the specific issue that you want to explore with your class.

For example:

Should road safety education be mandatory?	yes	no	Yes, but	No, but
Should there be bike lanes in all areas of all cities?	yes	no	Yes, but	No, but
Should drivers and cyclists share the road?	yes	no	Yes, but	No, but
Should cyclists have to pass a “bicycle driver’s” test?	yes	no	Yes, but	No, but

In general, there are two opinions about sharing the road; one is that there should be more bike lanes and that drivers should be more aware of cycling dangers as well as more conscious about sharing the road. There is also the opinion that cyclists should be more aware of drivers’ rights and that the road is “for cars”.

Action:

In order to take action on these road-sharing issues, students could write letters to city councillors, urban planners, or the MTO about their opinions, backed up with researched evidence, on road rules and the creation or abolition of bike lanes. For those who are pro-sharing, they could hold a bike rally or parade to demonstrate the importance of road safety, road safety education, and sharing the road. For those who are against road-sharing, they could hold a protest to make a point about the dangers of sharing the road and the reasons why it shouldn’t be encouraged. Students could also write articles for the school paper, or submit letters to the editor of the local paper regarding these issues.

My position:

As a cyclist and driver, I am pro-road-sharing. That said, as both a cyclist and a driver, I would appreciate more bike lanes for safety’s sake. When I drive, I always try to give space to the cyclists because, from my experience as a cyclist, I know how terrifying it can be to have cars whizzing past you, especially on a narrow street. However, when I do this, I often need to change lanes because there is so little room; this opportunity isn’t always available, and the driving just gets complicated. Bike lanes offer more room to both the drivers and the cyclists so that everyone can feel safe on the road. Also, as a child, I remember a police officer coming to our school to teach us about bike safety and how to put our helmets on properly. That said, I was about 10 years old and I don’t remember much about the actual road rules and safety tips; I think that it would be beneficial to add road safety education to driver education programs or to make road safety seminars/information more readily available.