776 replies to this topic

[G-Man]

Yup all thanks to a restaurant that went out of business like 8 years ago. 

[Sparky]

The new bus lanes have created a benefit that I did not appreciate until they were completed, and that is the middle car lane is now an unecumbered thru lane. No left turners...no right turners...just straight thru traffic.

 

I use Douglas Street again to pop into town instead of Blanshard. Much quicker.

[Cassidy]

The new bus lanes have created a benefit that I did not appreciate until they were completed, and that is the middle car lane is now an unecumbered thru lane. No left turners...no right turners...just straight thru traffic.

Weren't there always dedicated left turn lanes on the Douglas mainline?

Thus the inside lane was always a straight through lane, regardless of whether you were going North or South?

Edited by Cassidy, 16 December 2018 - 08:31 AM.

[rjag]

Weren't there always dedicated left turn lanes on the Douglas mainline?

Thus the inside lane was always a straight through lane, regardless of whether you were going North or South?

 

But you werent stuck at lights with cars turning left waiting for a pedestrian or a bus pulling out etc. 

[Sparky]

I think the benefit is mostly from not being held up by right turners. They are over in the bus lane now waiting for the pedestrians that think when there is 10 seconds left on the sign, that they can start their waddle. 

[RFS]

The bus lanes should really be bus/HOV with 3 occupant or more. This is what’s done in cities all over the place and makes total sense on every level

[Mike K.]

I'd say even two or more passengers is sufficient. Those lanes are empty nearly all the time while the traffic along Douglas can be stupidly congested at all hours of the business day.

 

I suspect the reason why passenger vehicles are banned is because in order to accommodate bicycles they had to give them the entire lane.

[Sparky]

HOV lanes are typically only on freeways not downtown streets. These are bus lanes where the busses stop and pick up and drop off passengers.

Different animal.

[Mike K.]

If memory serves correct Hastings used to have an HOV lane for buses and vehicles with two or more passengers but they've since clawed that back to buses and bicycles-only. I suspect that lots of passenger vehicles with one occupant just clogged up the lane so they nixed their access altogether.

[Bingo]

If memory serves correct Hastings used to have an HOV lane for buses and vehicles with two or more passengers but they've since clawed that back to buses and bicycles-only. I suspect that lots of passenger vehicles with one occupant just clogged up the lane so they nixed their access altogether.

I don't think bicycles should be using the HOV lane when there are alternative parallel bike paths to Douglas Street and the Trans-Canada.

Stay on the Goose and use the Johnson Street Bridge and Selkirk Trestle as part of that route.

[lanforod]

I used the Hastings one all the time when commuting in Vancouver - wasn't aware that has been changed since I moved here.

Just needs enforcement; even with no passenger cars allowed you still need enforcement (it's just easier to do enforcement).

[jonny]

HOV lanes are typically only on freeways not downtown streets. These are bus lanes where the busses stop and pick up and drop off passengers.

Different animal.

 

Bicyclists should use the GG one block to the west or the bicycle lanes on Blanshard one block to the east. 

[Cassidy]

For the sake of smooth running of the COV and everybody who lives in it, bicycles should be completely banned from all roads that don't have dedicated bike lanes, and on those roads with bike lanes bicycles should be legally compelled to stay off the vehicle roadway, and be forced to use the bike lane.

 

Douglas Street has dedicated bus lanes, not dedicated bike lanes ... and bikes should be banned from Douglas Street as a result.

 

The assorted municipalities should be obliged to ensure that there are sufficient bike lanes available to bike riders such that those riders can get to roughly any geographical destination in the CRD. The "ban" on bikes riding on roads with no dedicated bike lanes could be geographically limited, such that once a rider got to a specific point, they would be free to ride on any residential street to get to their ultimate destination.

 

 

[lanforod]

^ disagree until every road has a bike lane. Since that isn't practical, keep the status quo.

[RFS]

Also what about intersections and things?  It isn't practical to NEVER be on the roadway

[Cassidy]

If you're going through an intersection in a bike lane, then you're in the bike lane. "Intersection" by definition is where two different things share a common space.

 

As to every road having a bike lane, the basic premise is that roads are for cars and bike lanes are for bikes.

Currently, the tax base in the CRD is more than willing to pay for roads, indeed they started paying for those roads many decades ago.

The current backlash about tax paying residents forking over their tax dollars for bike lanes doesn't quite put bike riders in the same light.

I guess if bike riders can convince working taxpayers to pay for bike lanes on every street, then there will be lots and lots of bike lanes.

 

But if the majority of car driving, tax paying residents don't want to pay for bike lanes, cyclists will have to accept what they've got, and simply not complain about drivers of cars not being willing to pay millions of dollars for bike lanes.

 

Meanwhile, for the safety of all, get bikes off roads without dedicated bike lanes.

Edited by Cassidy, 19 December 2018 - 10:49 AM.

[RFS]

If you're going through an intersection in a bike lane, then you're in the bike lane. "Intersection" by definition is where two different things share a common space.

 

 

What?  If you are on a bike and need to turn left on an intersection, you need to leave your bike lane and enter the roadway in order to do so.

 

Edit: never mind, I see you are saying that you are including intersections in your definition of bike lanes.  

Edited by RFS, 19 December 2018 - 11:00 AM.

[Cassidy]

Underlying my dislike of bikes in busy traffic is the simple premise that such a combination is inherently unsafe.

I don't see this line of thinking as being open to debate ... rather it's just a terribly obvious fact.

This is reinforced by my own personal experience of knowing two people who have perished while riding bicycles and coming into contact with cars.

 

The gist of this line of thinking is that whether they're "in the right", or "in the wrong", it's always the bike rider that is going to come up short.

Blending cars and bikes on a dark, rainy roadway makes absolutely no sense from a safety perspective, especially in light of the obvious comment that "accidents happen" ... the reality is that nobody driving a car ever plans on hitting a bike, and nobody riding a bike ever plans on getting hit by a car ... and yet it happens all the time, more often than not with the bike rider meeting their demise.

 

I think the entire topic has become far too mired in political correctness, and it's time to call bikes out for the unsafe modes of transportation they actually are when used in very close proximity to cars and trucks using roadways designed expressly for cars and trucks.

 

As well, I'll reinforce that the concept that taxpayers aren't responsible for building out, and paying for a comprehensive bicycle lane system. I don't know where that thinking even comes from?

[RFS]

HOV lanes are typically only on freeways not downtown streets. These are bus lanes where the busses stop and pick up and drop off passengers.

Different animal.

 

Aren't they also putting bus lanes on the Highway?

[DustMagnet]

As well, I'll reinforce that the concept that taxpayers aren't responsible for building out, and paying for a comprehensive bicycle lane system. I don't know where that thinking even comes from?

 

From taxpayers that ride bikes?  I mean, who else would want the bike lanes?

 

EDIT: Here's an interesting read: https://patrickjohns...-for-roads.html

Edited by DustMagnet, 19 December 2018 - 12:27 PM.