11042 replies to this topic

[rjag]

I was downtown today and man the pandora bike lane was busy! Kids riding on them even! Instant Europe. I declare it a huge success already!

Grand opening celebration, free cake will do that! 🎂

[Mike K.]

The bike lane was completely devoid of cyclists for much of the day after the event at City Hall.

 

It's actually quite comical how barren it looks compared to vehicle traffic and (even) the volume of pedestrians.

[Nparker]

...It's actually quite comical how barren it looks compared to vehicle traffic and (even) the volume of pedestrians.

I am not sure I would say comical (not after $3.4 million in construction costs anyway) but I agree the vehicle and pedestrian volumes along this same stretch of Pandora are significantly higher than cyclists most of the time. To be fair, the lanes are still new and usage may increase as more people discover this route. I don't think we've quite reached dasmo's "instant Europe" biketopia just yet.

[Mike K.]

Instant Europe sounds great a name for a band, or a type of pot, I guess.

 

Oh it's bizarre, so bizarre, to have this bi-directional bike lane sitting empty while cars idle while waiting for their magic turning windows. This is all so utterly messed up that the only way you can deal with the expense of it all is through humour.

 

By the way, notice how there hasn't been an iota of bicycle traffic information coming from the usual suspects?

[sebberry]

I'd say at least two-thirds of the time I'm waiting to turn right off of Pandora, there's nary a bike in sight for a block in either direction. 

[Mike K.]

Absolutely there isn't. It's 9/10ths for me. The absolute irony is when I see cyclists getting pissed off when they have a red but vehicles have a green, so they decide to blow the red.

[Nparker]

...The absolute irony is when I see cyclists getting pissed off when they have a red but vehicles have a green, so they decide to blow the red.

I've noticed that too.

[Mike K.]

By the way, there's a tremendous amount of misinformation being propagated in regards to Victoria's new intersection lights, namely how Vancouverites overcame their issue with them therefore so too will Victoria.

 

But here's the thing, Vancouverites never had to overcome any sort of learning curve or put up with unnecessarily idling traffic because Vancouver doesn't have the Christmas light show going on that Victoria now does. No jurisdiction in Canada has this sort of setup, in fact.

 

Here's how right turns are handled along Vancouver's Dunsmuir protected bike lane, and how they should have been handled in Victoria.

 

[nagel]

Instant Europe sounds great a name for a band, or a type of pot, I guess.

 

Oh it's bizarre, so bizarre, to have this bi-directional bike lane sitting empty while cars idle while waiting for their magic turning windows. This is all so utterly messed up that the only way you can deal with the expense of it all is through humour.

 

By the way, notice how there hasn't been an iota of bicycle traffic information coming from the usual suspects?

I'll wait for the actual data to be released instead of offering contrarian anecdotal evidence.  The city is collecting data and I think I heard they'll release it in a few weeks.  The > 1,000 figure provided by the mayor is probably accurate on weekdays based on what I've seen (bike in them twice a weekday and walk along Pandora 2-3 more times per weekday).  I have no idea what the numbers are like on the weekend.  Personally I hardly ever come downtown on the weekend unless there's an event (and when there's an event I only cycle in because driving to events is a disaster).

 

One other point made this morning on CBC 1 by city staff is when the bridge is actually complete (if ever?) the volumes could go way up.  There's a lot of Johnson bike traffic right now because coming off the bridge you're on Johnson and it's a bit of a pain getting over to Pandora so many don't bother (e.g., my wife).  That doesn't really help total numbers though, but remember currently the JSB is a major gap in a safe network, so right now if I bike with my kids to downtown they've have to get off and walk at Harbour Road all the way to Pandora.  That's a long walk.  In January they can bike the entire thing without a dismount.

[VicHockeyFan]

Instant Europe sounds great a name for a band

 

Might have copyright issues....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

 

In this case, it's the final countdown to the last day in office for Lisa Helps.

[nagel]

By the way, there's a tremendous amount of misinformation being propagated in regards to Victoria's new intersection lights, namely how Vancouverites overcame their issue with them therefore so too will Victoria.

 

But here's the thing, Vancouverites never had to overcome any sort of learning curve or put up with unnecessarily idling traffic because Vancouver doesn't have the Christmas light show going on that Victoria now does. No jurisdiction in Canada has this sort of setup, in fact.

 

Here's how right turns are handled along Vancouver's Dunsmuir protected bike lane, and how they should have been handled in Victoria.

 

 dunsmuir.jpg

Fake news bro.

 

https://twitter.com/...451483857010689

[Nparker]

Might have copyright issues....

Perhaps "Instant Europe" is a cover band for the big-haired Swedes.

[Mike K.]

Fake news bro.

 

https://twitter.com/...451483857010689

 

Tell that to the mayor, then. I'm going by what she said.

[Hotel Mike]

It's all going to change once the new bridge is open. I believe the bike lane will be heavily used when it really connects to something useful.

[nagel]

I'd actually count myself as one of those that is glad there is a separate right turn phase when driving.  It's actually not easy to turn right downtown with the high pedestrian volumes.  You're screwed on both red and green.  Add to this the cross traffic and two way bike traffic, and I don't think I could safely/adequately collect all that data at the same time to make a decision to turn on Pandora without the separate phase.  With the separate phasing all I have to check for is that nobody is running their red light.  It's easy.

 

Some of the right turn phases are too short, notably the Blanshard one.

[VicHockeyFan]

It's all going to change once the new bridge is open. I believe the bike lane will be heavily used when it really connects to something useful.

 

There will be an increase, for sure.  Plus we'll have ice cream, pop, juice, sandwich bike vendors on the Goose now, right?

[nagel]

There will be an increase, for sure.  Plus we'll have ice cream, pop, juice, sandwich bike vendors on the Goose now, right?

That's way too much fun for the CRD to allow it.

[Mike K.]

I'd actually count myself as one of those that is glad there is a separate right turn phase when driving.  It's actually not easy to turn right downtown with the high pedestrian volumes. 

 

It wouldn't be if pedestrians adhered to the simple rule of not entering the crosswalk when the walk signal disappears. All the counters have done is give pedestrians the motivation to cross when they shouldn't be, and that's what causes vehicle back-ups.

[VicHockeyFan]

That's way too much fun for the CRD to allow it.

 

Ya, probably.  Where does the City section end and the CRD part begin?  Maybe there will be a food stop.  

[VicHockeyFan]

It wouldn't be if pedestrians adhered to the simple rule of not entering the crosswalk when the walk signal disappears. All the counters have done is give pedestrians the motivation to cross when they shouldn't be, and that's what causes vehicle back-ups.

 

I love the pedestrian counters.  I've devised a formula for when you can make it acroos.

 

If you are 20 and over, if goes like this:  Take your age, and divide it by 6.   That's the number of seconds a healthy individual can easily make it across in.

 

If you are 24 years old or under, go ahead and cross on 4 or more seconds.  42, you'll need 7 seconds.  If you are 60 or over, allow at least 10 seconds on the countdown timer.

 

REMEMBER, do not use this formula if you are under 20.  ie. a 6-year-old can NOT normally make it across in 1 second.  But it's worth a try.

 

Now, remember you also have to add in the time it takes you to make this calculation before you cross.  But you only have to do it once a year.  When you set your clocks ahead in the spring, re-calibrate, and write the number down on your hand in permanent marker.  Then the following year, wash your hand, and re-calibrate, write the new number down.

 

I know a lot of you will forget this.  So I've rented a booth at car-free day, and I'll have calculators and permanent markers, along with some custom "CRD Safety Certified" stamps I ordered from Stampers in Quadra Village before they closed.  So you get the stamp, and the number written on your hand.  See ya Father's Day on Douglas!