A provincial election is the perfect time to put politicians in the hot seat.

Especially the one normally occupied by bicycle riders.

I mean, given cyclists in this city built for green-house-gas belching motor vehicles are risking their lives every time they take to major arteries.

So it was that Bike to The Future -- "an advocacy group for cycling as everyday transportation" -- created a series of questions they've asked the provincial parties to answer.

Mark Cohoe, of Bike to the Future, forwarded them to me after reading last week's column (Slow lane is what city needs, and fast, April 26) about Ainsley Hutchings, the 22-year-old cyclist who was literally tossed to the curb by a Transit bus earlier this spring.

Cohoe's e-mail was one of many generated by Hutchings' story. They came from cyclists and bus drivers alike.

They complained, not surprisingly, about each other's lack of care and courtesy on the road and in the curb lanes they are forced to share with each other.

All the more reason to separate big buses in a hurry from vulnerable cyclists by creating a slow lane for bikes.

Anyway, here for starters is what Bike to the Future wants the NDP, Tories and Liberals to answer:

"Do you agree that increased use of bicycles as everyday transportation for work, shopping or other travel is desirable for environmental, health and/or economic reasons, and that the province should develop a provincial policy and support the use of bicycles as transportation?"

In other words, "Do you believe in motherhood? OK, How about David Suzuki?"

But how do we convince a civic government to create a network of bike lanes when it can't even afford to keep up with maintaining the crumbling, pothole-pitted roads we do have?

The answer is, we make it a budget priority for a province that -- according to Premier Gary Doer's promise -- is going to make going green the law of the land if he's re-elected.

It doesn't even have to be all that costly. If you don't believe me, how about an expert. Lindsay Gauld is the former Olympic cyclist turned bike courier who bikes around the city for a living.

"I have some short term solutions," he wrote, "which would involve little capital expenditures as that seems to be a major sticking point.

"1. Extend the Diamond lanes during rush hour on the major arteries.

"2. Paint white bike lanes about three-feet out from the curb on major arteries. Our lanes are at least 12-feet wide and this came about during the era of the big boats that Detroit produced. With the exception of the proliferation of Hummers and similar other SUVs, cars are much smaller now."

And then there was a suggestion from a reader named Delaney Earthwalker. He wants to put politicians to try the real hot seat.

"I challenge Winnipeg's councillors and the mayor to ride a bike on the city streets -- alone and unescorted -- for the equivalent of one day. I expect their inaction concerning bike lanes would change dramatically."

Go ride in the traffic, Mr. Mayor.

I kinda like the sound of that.