EDMONTON—A new poll shows most Edmonton residents believe there is considerable conflict between drivers and cyclists on the roads — and that cyclists are more responsible for it.

Of the 179 local residents polled by the Angus Reid Institute, 67 per cent said cyclists are more responsible for conflict on the roads, as opposed to 33 per cent, who said drivers are to blame.

The national poll was conducted to see how bicyclists and drivers perceive conflict on the roads, in the wake of a surge in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in 2018.

“While most Canadians say there isn’t much conflict between cyclists and drivers in the cities where they live, people who’ve borne witness to clashes between the two groups tend to blame those on two wheels, rather than those on four,” said a statement released by the institute.

According to the poll, two-thirds of Canadians say too many cyclists in their communities don’t follow the rules of the road, and nearly the same number say too many drivers don’t pay enough attention to bicycles on the roadway.

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In Edmonton — as well as in Calgary — the poll found that residents are considerably more likely to say there are too many separated bike lanes.

Around 42 per cent of respondents in Edmonton said separated bike lanes are a good thing, compared to 33 per cent who said separated bike lanes are a bad thing. The remaining 25 per cent selected “not sure” or “can’t say” in the survey.

“We’re always canvassing Canadians about the issues of the day,” said Shachi Kurl, the executive director of the institute, adding that the issue of bike lanes has “galvanized the Canadian public, especially urban Canadians, for many years now.”

For its methodology, the institute analyzed the results of an online survey done in March, sampling more than 5,000 Canadian adults. According to the institute, a probability sample of this size with this sample plan carries a margin of error of plus-or-minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

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