Ottawa paramedics responded to a collision Thursday afternoon after a man was struck while cycling on West Hunt Club Road, one of the city's busier arterial routes connecting the south end to neighbourhoods near the airport and Riverside South.
What Happened
According to Ottawa Paramedic Service, the man collided with an OC Transpo bus on West Hunt Club Road on Thursday afternoon. He was taken to hospital following the incident. No further details about his condition, the exact location along the road, or the circumstances leading up to the collision have been released.
West Hunt Club Road is a multi-lane corridor that carries a steady stream of commuter and transit traffic throughout the day, making it a route where cyclists and buses frequently share space, particularly near bus stops and turning lanes.
An Ottawa Road Safety Concern
Collisions between cyclists and transit vehicles are an ongoing concern for road safety advocates in Ottawa, a city that has spent years working to expand its cycling network while also running one of the country's largest municipal bus fleets through OC Transpo. Roads like West Hunt Club, which lack dedicated, protected cycling infrastructure along much of their length, are often flagged by residents and cycling groups as higher-risk corridors compared to streets with separated bike lanes.
The City of Ottawa has been gradually adding protected bike lanes and multi-use pathways across the city in recent years, but many arterial roads in the south end, including stretches of West Hunt Club Road, still require cyclists to ride in mixed traffic alongside buses, trucks, and cars.
What Ottawa Cyclists Can Do
While details of this specific collision remain limited, incidents like this one are a reminder for anyone cycling in Ottawa to stay especially alert around transit vehicles, which have large blind spots and make frequent stops to pick up and drop off passengers. Cyclists are encouraged to give buses extra space, make eye contact with drivers when possible, and avoid riding directly alongside a bus in its blind spot.
OC Transpo drivers, in turn, are trained to watch for cyclists near stops and intersections, but the sheer volume of buses moving through corridors like West Hunt Club Road each day means close calls and, occasionally, serious incidents can still happen.
Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Paramedic Service have not released updated information on the cyclist's condition. This story may be updated as more details become available.
Source: CBC Ottawa
