The mere mention of bike lanes and problems that make them less safe is enough to set off readers, and cyclists are among them.

Earlier this week I reported that many of the flexible bollards that separate vehicles from bike lanes on Woodbine Avenue, south of Danforth Avenue, had been knocked down and were strewn around the street.

It prompted lively email from readers who clearly have no use for cycling lanes or the people who ride in them. No surprise there, but some cyclists also said they don‘t like them.

It underscores the gulf between cyclists and drivers who resent having to cede road space and don’t give a hoot about cyclists’ safety. And as usual, I was accused of writing about the wrong things and falling for hogwash.

“You must be joking,” said Larry Berti. “I live there. There are plenty of flexipoles still in place. Yes, a few are broken. Such is life. I’m sure your home isn’t in absolutely perfect condition.

“Stop exaggerating and write a useful article. Seriously, cyclists fearing for their lives because of a few broken flexipoles.”

“Maybe the Star should do real counts on bicycle lane use like Bay and Bloor, Woodbine, Moore Avenue, Poplar Plains, etc.,” said Frank Mara. “Send a real person to count use during the day, rather than bike lobby spin.”

Murray Duncan said he was riding south through the intersection of Woodbine and O’Connor Drive, when a driver turning left “plowed into me, knocking me down and damaging my bike.”

He said his city councillor told him “they knew there was a problem at that intersection and that they were being proactive. What does proactive mean to them?

“So I say bollocks to bollards, get rid of those bike lanes. Hardly anybody uses them. I will never use the city’s bike lanes ever!”

Kevin Mullens said he’s a cyclist who pulls a “hitch-mounted bike carrier” and lives near Woodbine, but “I don’t cycle on roads for safety reasons.”

He noted that the Woodbine bollards may have been hit because “they have become grey and match the colour of the road,” which makes them hard for drivers to see.

“They virtually disappear when riding into the sun or at night, and visually merge with the thick white lines between them at other times. Not to mention the camouflage effect during large accumulations of snow.

“The bollards are also distracting to drivers, as the irregular line of the broken posts draw the eye away from the road. Dangerous in busy stop and go traffic.”

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Mullens proposed a cheap, easy solution: “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you are going to put a line of posts five feet onto the road from the curb, you might want to make them a day-glo colour with night reflective coating.”

Sounds like a great idea. We’ll be asking the city why it hasn’t been done. Stay tuned.