A cyclist in James Bay found what she thinks are nails and screws deliberately placed in newly-constructed bike lanes.
Sarah Pullman was cycling last Monday when she noticed some debris in the lane.
“At first I thought it maybe was left over from the construction and they hadn’t gotten around to it yet, but with the number of them I started to be a little concerned,” said Pullman.
She says she frequently uses the bike lanes near the intersection of Superior and Oswego streets, and notified city staff of the nails and screws.
“The city was very responsive, I was impressed,” she told CHEK News.
The next day Pullman again saw debris in the lane, and this time stopped to pick it up. “I was riding along and I could see little glints of metal on the ground so I slowed down and picked up a nail, then I realized there were many, many nails.”
Pullman says the city of Victoria responded again, this time with a magnetic sweeper to ensure all the nails and screws were collected.
In a statement, City of Victoria Manager of Intergovernmental and Media Relations Colleen Mycroft called the area an active construction site and that the construction company was responsible for keeping the site tidy. She also said it’s not clear where the nails and screws came from.
Pullman collected the hardware and says she picked up 43 nails and screws. The fact that there were so many, found in the new corridor leads her to believe they were placed maliciously.
“It’s pretty unnerving to think there might be somebody who would do such a thing,” says the James Bay resident.
Carol Auld also regularly cycles in the area and isn’t convinced someone purposely placed them there.
“I ride these bike lanes every day and I’ve never seen any nails. There was a little debris from the construction,” she said. “I’m really doubtful, I really wonder if that, in fact, actually happened.”
The city says the bike lanes on Superior Street aren’t technically open yet. Pullman says they’re a valuable addition to the neighbourhood.
“My perspective as someone who uses it every day is that it’s a really wonderful asset for our community and for our city,” she added.
Jordan Cunningham
