St. Catharines to begin installing bollards to separate cyclists from cars

The Niagara Region recently announced plans to begin reinstalling bicycle bollards (short posts used to keep traffic away from part of a road) along Martindale Rd. in St. Catharines. 

The bollards, which tend to keep motorists from driving at higher speeds, will work to separate cyclists from vehicular traffic.

The installation, which will begin today (June 14), is part of an ongoing pilot project to assess the effectiveness of the bollards in improving road safety. 

According to a news release from the Region, bollards will be installed in the same area as last year, between Elderwood Drive and Grapeview Drive. The region will also extend the pilot area from Erion Drive to QEW South Service Road. 

In July, the pilot will be extended to the area of the QEW North Ramp to Main Street. 

“The extended bollard pilot areas will allow assessment of the bollards’ effectiveness in a wider variety of traffic conditions along the road corridor and provide the ability to test different installation options such as alternating the bollards along each roadside,” the news release says. 

The Region says minor disruptions during the installation process are anticipated. 

The pilot is anticipated to run until mid-September of this year.

The pilot program is part of the Region’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to improve road safety and eliminate deaths. 

Residents are welcome to provide feedback on the program. 

For more information, click here.