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[Bicycles] Issues with bicycles and cyclists in Victoria


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#21 James Bay walker

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Posted 03 November 2013 - 04:31 PM

Physically separated bike lanes are the answer. Green paint and an empty buffer zone simply won't do. Victoria needs to plan for the future and invest in serious bicycling infrastructure.

Sounds expensive. Why not just have the rule that: bicycles may use the roads on even numbered days and cars may use the roads on odd numbered days. Everybody wins, at no added expense.

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#22 pherthyl

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Posted 03 November 2013 - 05:30 PM

Hiow refreshing! I'm more used to my character being derided than my sanity.

No, I don't enjoy them. The Motor Vehicle Act (if only it were properly enforced) provides a lot more clearance. Bike lanes make left turns problematic at best.


I thought you meant separated from the road bike lanes.

As far as bike lines adjacent to a road, it's really just a well marked shoulder. Still don't see any downsides and there is a bit more dedicated space which is nice. Left turns aren't any more difficult, you just merge into traffic just like you merge into traffic from a shoulder to go left, or you cross at the intersection. Right turns same thing. If you're riding on the shoulder you are vulnerable to cars turning right, and it is always a dicey situation when a cyclist and a car gets to an intersection at the same time and the car is turning right.

#23 Holden West

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 11:46 PM

This .pdf details a dangerous bike lane that ends suddenly near the Johnson Street Bridge:

 

http://skeena.net/bl..._death_trap.pdf


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#24 Mike K.

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 04:43 AM

That's a dangerous curve all around. Despite being a 30 zone vehicles take that corner well in excess of the limit putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk. And what compounds the issue is if a vehicle loses control pedestrians have nowhere to escape.

The City is well aware of this issue and despite funneling everyone under the bridge who wants to use the Goose no traffic calming or safety barriers have been installed.

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#25 Bingo

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 06:59 AM

This .pdf details a dangerous bike lane that ends suddenly near the Johnson Street Bridge:

 

http://skeena.net/bl..._death_trap.pdf

 

That is a dangerous piece of road that didn't exist for cyclists until the old Johnson Street Bridge rail span was taken down, forcing cyclists to use that route.

I have seen the cyclists heading east on Esquimalt Road stop at the end of the bike lane and wait until cyclists or pedestrians coming from Harbour Road activate the traffic light, which allows all cyclists to proceed East under the "S" curve on their own.



#26 KAS

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 02:16 PM

^  That's nice that they stop to wait for the Harbour Rd crossing light. I've never seen that.  What I have seen is cyclists come down the slope on Esquimalt at speed and blow through the red light and just about run into south-bound pedestrians (me!) at that intersection. 

 

If you're stopped at that light and you can't figure out why that pedestrian is giving you the stinkeye, it's just me, trying to see if there's a bicycle on the far side of the lineup of cars.



#27 Mike K.

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 02:18 PM

Ha! I do that too. I've learned my lesson. Some drivers think I'm trying to stare down their passenger :)

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#28 Bingo

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Posted 25 July 2014 - 09:55 PM

 When you build a bike lane on a one-way street, is the bike lane necessarily one-way? 

 

 

http://www.cfax1070....s-city-hall-nod



#29 sebberry

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Posted 25 July 2014 - 10:49 PM


The committee has instructed staff to consider and report on it before work actually begins.

 

Here's my prediction...

 

Staff: 

We do not recommend two-way bike traffic on one-way roads.  It may cause confusion for drivers who are turning off of the one way road and encounter two-way bike traffic.  The driver may not realize the bikes are approaching from two different directions and may proceed without checking for bike traffic from the opposite direction. 

 

Also, drivers turning onto the one-way road may see bikes travelling in both directions and may mistake the one-way road for a two-way road.  As a result, drivers may turn and begin to travel in the wrong direction.

 

Council:

Yeh, whatever, this is good for cycling, screw your professional opinion.  Motion: To allow two-way bike lanes on one-way roads.  All in favor? (Everyone) Motion carries!


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#30 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 26 July 2014 - 07:28 AM

Here's my prediction...

 

Staff: 

We do not recommend two-way bike traffic on one-way roads.  It may cause confusion for drivers who are turning off of the one way road and encounter two-way bike traffic.  The driver may not realize the bikes are approaching from two different directions and may proceed without checking for bike traffic from the opposite direction. 

 

Also, drivers turning onto the one-way road may see bikes travelling in both directions and may mistake the one-way road for a two-way road.  As a result, drivers may turn and begin to travel in the wrong direction.

 

Council:

Yeh, whatever, this is good for cycling, screw your professional opinion.  Motion: To allow two-way bike lanes on one-way roads.  All in favor? (Everyone) Motion carries!

 

Ya, I don't get it, why do bikes need to travel the wrong way.  It's also not good for pedestrians that might not look the wrong way before crossing at intersections or mid-block (Pandora at Broad, for instance, or Johnson at the Johnson parkade).


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#31 sdwright.vic

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Posted 26 July 2014 - 08:21 AM

http://www.cfax1070....s-city-hall-nod


...because bicycles are required to travel on the furthest right hand lane, or in the bicycle lane that is also to the further right hand side of the roadway.

To be able to do this they would have to change not just city law, but Provincial traffic law. ICBC would have a fit.
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#32 Mike K.

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Posted 26 July 2014 - 08:24 AM

Something tells me they'll want to do just that, then they'll get told to sit back down, then they'll figure they should just build two directional bike lanes everywhere because, you know, we've got so much money to burn.
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#33 sebberry

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Posted 26 July 2014 - 08:25 AM

What it sounds like they want is a two-way bike trail (like the Goose) on city roads. 

 

I've said it before.  If you want better cycling infrastructure in and out of the city, pick a couple of routes (one E-W, another S-N) and build them.

 

None of this piecemeal scattered about crap. 


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#34 lanforod

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Posted 26 July 2014 - 06:09 PM

They just need to seperate it like in downtown Vancouver. Which is lousy IMO...

#35 Coreyburger

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 08:54 AM

...because bicycles are required to travel on the furthest right hand lane, or in the bicycle lane that is also to the further right hand side of the roadway.

To be able to do this they would have to change not just city law, but Provincial traffic law. ICBC would have a fit.

 

Incorrect, bicyclists have to travel "as far right as practically possible". This does NOT mean you have to stay in the bike lane.



#36 jonny

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 09:47 AM

I don't understand why we don't just pick a couple of streets, like say Quadra, Government, Fort and Pandora and make those bicycling corridors with big massive bike lanes. These bike lanes on every street business is getting ridiculous, but I guess the cycling lobby is strong here.


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#37 sebberry

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 09:55 AM

Incorrect, bicyclists have to travel "as far right as practically possible". This does NOT mean you have to stay in the bike lane.

 

Usually the MVA makes use of the term "practicable", which in the case of keeping right means do it when possible, not when practical. 


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#38 sebberry

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 09:58 AM

I don't understand why we don't just pick a couple of streets, like say Quadra, Government, Fort and Pandora and make those bicycling corridors with big massive bike lanes. These bike lanes on every street business is getting ridiculous, but I guess the cycling lobby is strong here.

 

I've been saying this for a while.  Pick a few corridors for some good bike trails and leave everything else alone.  But lots of little bike lanes gives a better perception of "green".


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#39 jklymak

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 10:29 AM

Usually the MVA makes use of the term "practicable", which in the case of keeping right means do it when possible, not when practical. 

 

?? I guess you need to explain what you mean by the difference between "practicable" and "practical". 

 

Thats said, I agree that two way bike lanes are a disaster waiting to happen, unless perhaps, they are separated from the road and have their own set of signals.  



#40 Coreyburger

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 10:36 AM

?? I guess you need to explain what you mean by the difference between "practicable" and "practical". 

 

Thats said, I agree that two way bike lanes are a disaster waiting to happen, unless perhaps, they are separated from the road and have their own set of signals.  

 

They aren't in other cities. Two-way protected bike lanes have spectacular safety records, especially when compared to a "shared street" like Pandora.



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