11042 replies to this topic

[Coreyburger]

Is there signage in the MoTI controlled portion stating its a shoulder and not a bike lane at that point?

 

Nope. Worse yet, many of the bike lanes in the region are missing signs or symbols so may not be actually bike lanes  (Foul Bay Rd used to be like this)

[Baro]

How can anyone tell if the shoulder is a bike lane or not when they're so often covered in gravel and debris?

[Rob Randall]

What's worse is that shoulder is under the right-of-way of an unused DND floatplane flight path so technically, every vehicle crossing this portion of the road should have a flashing yellow light.

 

Actually, I just made that up but the fact that it sounds plausible speaks to our crazy system.

[Bingo]

How can anyone tell if the shoulder is a bike lane or not when they're so often covered in gravel and debris?

 

Whatever happened to the days when the shoulder of the road was for pulling over for ambulances, speeding tickets or to change a tire?

[Coreyburger]

Regional planning at its finest!

 

Even if we were amalgamated, this problem would still exist. It is a provincially controlled road

[shoeflack]

Even if we were amalgamated, this problem would still exist. It is a provincially controlled road

 

MoT (or whatever relevant ministry depending on the issue) is usually invited to the table in regional planning sessions in most areas for this exact reason.

[Coreyburger]

MoT (or whatever relevant ministry depending on the issue) is usually invited to the table in regional planning sessions in most areas for this exact reason.

 

They are, but this appears to be a ministry policy thing - they don't put up bike lane signs on their roads, they leave them as "bike shoulders" even though they should know of the legal ramifications of this

[shoeflack]

They are, but this appears to be a ministry policy thing - they don't put up bike lane signs on their roads, they leave them as "bike shoulders" even though they should know of the legal ramifications of this

 

I would imagine that policy will change. The Ministry is opening itself and taxpayers up to legal action as a result of this case, which generally means a policy change.

[Bingo]

A lack of design consistency will promote a lack on understanding and a lack of respect those who are in the bike lanes or out of them.

[rjag]

In Brussels this week and noticed minimal bike lanes and even fewer bikes. It's interesting being that this is the EU capital and home to multiple thousands of bureaucrats.

Very good subway system but quite old. Parking lots are buried under the main boulevards.

Really quite surprised as there was more bike lanes in London UK. Here they are non existent, off to Amsterdam tomorrow I'm sure to see the polar opposite.

[Taj]

Hi Rjag  : just to add to your point about Brussels....I worked there a few years ago and can confirm that even in the super residential areas, there are no bike lanes (in fact, I feel like even if they had bike lanes, Bruxellois would find a way to park in them/block them/otherwise sabotage them up). When I was there, the Villo! cycle rentals were popular, and I used them myself a few times.  I just looked at their website and it looks like they had 1.5 million rentals last year, so looks like they're still going strong.  They allow people to either do a one-off rental or to have a rental subscription.  Bikes are redistributed on the backs of trucks to ensure that there is always an even supply of rentals around the city.   Folding bicycles were also very popular, as I guess they're easier to collapse and store, and I did see a number of people commuting to work with them.  That said, there's no hand-holding for cyclists and it's a little bit like survival of the fittest.  If you want to cycle, great....but it's up to you to be aware of your surroundings.  None of this two-way protected bike lane business.  In a way, I think it makes people better cyclists, as they're trained to be aware.  I've been riding my bike to work here this summer, and it seems like the greatest threat to cyclists is other cyclists. I've been cut off numerous times, people don't signal or shoulder check, and I saw a woman cycling very fast the wrong way down the Johnson St bike lane during rush hour and nearly caused several accidents).

 

The thing with Brussels is that the tram system is very very good and with the rush-hour traffic being as chaotic as it is, it's just easier to use public transport.  Add into that the fact that fall and winter in Brussels can be miserably wet, and it's much easier to leave bike rentals for leisure cycling or for when the trams and metro go on strike. A lot of people live outside of Brussels in other parts of the country, so a bicycle isn't practical as a commuting vehicle.

 

(PS : enjoy your trip!  Amsterdam is lovely, but watch out for the cyclists....they have no mercy )

Edited by Taj, 04 August 2017 - 07:05 AM.

[Nparker]

Are street licensed, motorized 2-wheeled vehicles allowed to use the bike lanes? I just saw a scooter moving along at a pretty good clip on Pandora.

[Linear Thinker]

Check out ICBC's Low powered vehicles page.

From what it says, the answer is No.

I think the city bylaw that allows skateboards, etc. in bike lanes is for non-motorized "vehicles", but motor assisted cycles are allowed.

 

 

Are street licensed, motorized 2-wheeled vehicles allowed to use the bike lanes? I just saw a scooter moving along at a pretty good clip on Pandora.

[Nparker]

...motor assisted cycles are allowed.

It was most definitely not a motor-assisted cycle; it was a gas powered scooter, sort of like this

and as I mentioned before, it sported a BC license plate.

[lanforod]

^ not allowed.

[Mike K.]

That is not what VicPD officers told me when I was nearly run down by such a scooter in the Pandora bike lane.

 

I was crossing the street right at Broad when one of these scooters, in full view of the cops, failed to stop for me and blazed by at what must have been 50km/h. I immediately looked to the cops to do something about it, and they said that scooters are permitted and that because it's not a "motorized" vehicle it doesn't have to abide by the posted speed limits.

 

There was no point arguing, either. They were not interested in the matter. At all.

[lanforod]

Those cops are definitely wrong then. A scooter that would be allowed in the lane would be limited at 32 km/h unassisted - if it was an assisted one and the rider was pedaling like mad to hit 50 km/h then that would technically be okay but that is highly unlikely as the assist is supposed to not help once you're going 32.

A licensed scooter is not a lane legal assisted scooter.

 

Speed limits apply to all vehicles, bikes included.

Edited by lanforod, 16 August 2017 - 12:15 PM.

[Nparker]

...scooters are permitted and that because it's not a "motorized" vehicle it doesn't have to abide by the posted speed limits...

So a scooter, like the one I saw, with a motor, is a non-motorized vehicle? I suppose in a community where illegal businesses are licensed by the city this makes perfect sense.

[Mike K.]

I know, it was all so very bizarre. I walked away shaking my head.

 

I would wager, Np, that the person you saw was the person I saw.

[lanforod]

So a scooter, like the one I saw, with a motor, is a non-motorized vehicle? I suppose in a community where illegal businesses are licensed by the city this makes perfect sense.

Not a non motorized vehicle. If it had a valid Bc plate on it though that was not a ebike or assisted electric scooter. So it is not allowed in the bike lanes. It's supposed to follow the same rules as a motorcycle, except for the licensing requirement (class 5 is ok for under 50 cc, or under 1500 watts).