It was exactly three months ago today that Melanie Harris died after being struck by an STO bus while cycling on a stretch of Sussex Drive.
Her father, Jim Harris, said Melanie was an avid cyclist who enjoyed riding to work during the spring and summer. The only part she didn’t like was riding along Sussex Drive, where the bike path and bus lane co-mingle.
“That’s really a silly way of trying to set up a bike path,” Harris said. “The city now has a rationale for doing something, and I’d like to see something sooner rather than later.”
Any delay in addressing the problem needlessly exposes others to the same unsafe conditions, said Harris.
At 4:30 p.m. today, Capital Ward Coun. Clive Doucet is hosting a candlelight memorial at the Laurier entrance of city hall for Harris and all cyclists who were injured or killed on city roads.
The memorial is a reminder that the cyclists were individuals who had families that were deeply affected by the collision, said Doucet. It is also a reminder that council has to start honouring its commitment to cyclists by investing in safe cycling infrastructure.
