Bike Windsor Essex is disappointed there will be no temporary cycling measures at the Dougall Ave. rail underpass, also known as the "Dougall Deathtrap."
"The status quo is dangerous, and I think that any opportunity that we have to mitigate danger for people on the roadways and to educate the public, whether they be cyclists, whether they be pedestrians or drivers, I think that failing to utilize that opportunity is a mistake," says Stephen Pitman, education coordinator with Bike Windsor Essex.
The group was requesting a 10 km/hr speed reduction, cycling signage and bike sharrows on the road in hopes of increasing safety for cyclists while they wait for improvements planned under the Central Box Environmental Assessment.
Many councillors voted against the request because they felt putting infrastructure there invited more cyclists to use the dangerous corridor.
"It would send a signal to cyclists that the municipality, the city, was saying it's okay to use this facility for cycling, and it's not. It's unsafe," says Councillor Hilary Payne.
Council committed $2.4-million in funding at its last council meeting to work with CN rail to build a multi-use trail tunnel through the underpass.
Instead of approving the request from Bike Windsor Essex councillors asked for a report from administration to outline the feasibility of fast-tracking the tunnel project. As it stands now it could take more than three years to complete.
"We're quite pleased that council has decided to move up the larger solution which is to put a tunnel through that area," says Pitman.
The project will come forward during budget deliberations, but administration has already warned other projects will need to be sacrificed to move the timeline ahead.