11042 replies to this topic

[marks_28]

Fort at OB Junction is now worse off since the reduction to 1 through lane. That's the problem, they are attacking these arterial routes and creating pinch points all over. Its not uncommon to have to wait 2-3 light cycles at that single light now which means more idling traffic, impacted buses etc. If you want to close off or reduce certain roads to create cycling corridors then you need to leave other routes alone. 

 

Are you referring to the bike lane they created on Fort St headed westbound? I live right by there and have never had to wait two cycles, let alone three. MAYBE two during rush hour? And that bike lane was needed. My partner, who works at VGH, wasn't comfortable biking home from work because of that intersection, but since the improvements were made she says it's made it far less stressful and manageable for her. 

[sebberry]

Are you referring to the bike lane they created on Fort St headed westbound? I live right by there and have never had to wait two cycles, let alone three. MAYBE two during rush hour? And that bike lane was needed. My partner, who works at VGH, wasn't comfortable biking home from work because of that intersection, but since the improvements were made she says it's made it far less stressful and manageable for her. 

 

There's the lane and bollards and parking in front of Sound Hounds and the dry cleaner.  

 

It easily double or tripled my wait time there coming up Fort to turn onto Pandora during pre-COVID rush hour times.  There were several instances where it was backed up to at least Belcher Ave near Christies pub where I started turning down to get over to Oak Bay Ave.  

[Cats4Hire]

When I have classes ending around 4-4:30 I take the 15 (16 leaves too early, 26 almost always full, 51 poor timing, 4 I've had 30/31s pass full at Kings) and I would agree 2-3 cycles at that light seems like the average.

[rjag]

Are you referring to the bike lane they created on Fort St headed westbound? I live right by there and have never had to wait two cycles, let alone three. MAYBE two during rush hour? And that bike lane was needed. My partner, who works at VGH, wasn't comfortable biking home from work because of that intersection, but since the improvements were made she says it's made it far less stressful and manageable for her. 

Yup, there are quite a few times during the day where traffic is backed up close to St Charles going eastbound. The light allows maybe 6-8 cars through at a time, resulting in more people taking chances with the yellow. 

Westbound its just as challenging but for different reasons with the bollards, the short right turn lane etc. Theres far more going on than before. But like I said, if they are going to look at some roads to close then they need to open up other roads. Its too easy to use the 'fear' card, risk is risk, we all encounter it evry minute of our day, take reasonable precautions, apply personal responsibility and get on with it. 

[Danma]

It's unfortunate that the area has this weird mishmash of diagonal arterial routes combined with a strange mix of varying grids that don't align. Even if you wanted to explore alternate routes for bike lanes, where the heck could you put them that wasn't a huge departure?

[kxl]

It’s a lot easier to designate bike lanes on a grid system in Fernwood, Oaklands, and Oak Bay than in Rockland.

[Brantastic]

"What's Happening Here?" signs just went up today indicating construction on the Vancouver Street bike lanes starts in August with a February completion. I'm super stoked as I live on Vancouver St and bike daily but I just hope the sign they put up outside Save On Foods isn't an indication of the quality of the craftmanship:

[GetLisaSomeHelps]

"What's Happening Here?" signs just went up today indicating construction on the Vancouver Street bike lanes starts in August with a February completion. I'm super stoked as I live on Vancouver St and bike daily but I just hope the sign they put up outside Save On Foods isn't an indication of the quality of the craftmanship:

 

It's one of those skill testing signs - If you can read it, please know that you have earned the right to demand answers from Lisa Helps and probably have a 200 IQ. The code phrase is "City's Mobility Strategy".

[mbjj]

Oh gawd, not on Vancouver too! We go to Save On along Vancouver, we go downtown along Vancouver (probably won't bother going there now at all). If and when they bring in no left turn from Cook onto Richardson, it will truly be a nightmare for us to go anywhere from our house in the direction of town. I've walked to work along Vancouver for 25 years. It doesn't need bike lanes.

[rmpeers]

Oh gawd, not on Vancouver too! We go to Save On along Vancouver, we go downtown along Vancouver (probably won't bother going there now at all). If and when they bring in no left turn from Cook onto Richardson, it will truly be a nightmare for us to go anywhere from our house in the direction of town. I've walked to work along Vancouver for 25 years. It doesn't need bike lanes.

Whoa there! Disagreeing with the mayor? Sounds like vitriol and toxicity to me.

[Brantastic]

Oh gawd, not on Vancouver too! We go to Save On along Vancouver, we go downtown along Vancouver (probably won't bother going there now at all). If and when they bring in no left turn from Cook onto Richardson, it will truly be a nightmare for us to go anywhere from our house in the direction of town. I've walked to work along Vancouver for 25 years. It doesn't need bike lanes.

Yes, Vancouver Street needs bike lanes. There's no safe north-south connector for cyclists on the east end of downtown. It's a busy thoroughfare for cars and I would really like to not have to share the road with vehicles 160x the weight of my bike that are capable of several times my speed. The road randomly widens and narrows (ex. at Yates and at Fort) and cyclists need to weave in and out of traffic and parked cars to get by. I'm a confident cyclist and use my bike as my main form of transportation yet I've had several close calls on Vancouver Street. Cyclists use it now, not because it's some great cycling street, but because there's no better option in the area.

[mbjj]

Good article by Steve Wallace on the bike lanes. I love his description of Victoria.

 

https://www.timescol...ment-1.24182497

[mbjj]

We know people who live on Vancouver, down by Sutlej Street. They wonder how there is even room for a bike lane there.

[marks_28]

Well Vancouver Street won’t have a bike lane such as Pandora and Fort, but rather traffic calming similar to what is planned for Richardson.

[Rex Waverly]

Well Vancouver Street won’t have a bike lane such as Pandora and Fort, but rather traffic calming similar to what is planned for Richardson.

 

I believe the plan calls for bike lanes (one-way protected lanes on each side of Vancouver) between Balmoral Rd and Meares St. But north and south of this section, yeah it's just traffic calming / sharrows similar to Richardson.   

[spanky123]

 I would really like to not have to share the road with vehicles 160x the weight of my bike that are capable of several times my speed. 

 

I think this sums up the thoughts of many bike activists. They want the road to themselves and there should be no cars at all.

[rmpeers]

Both Vancouver and Richardson seem not to lend themselves to bike lanes. But I get that this city has a powerful & vocal bike lobby, so I guess those who insist we "need" them will win out.

[Greg]

I think this sums up the thoughts of many bike activists. They want the road to themselves and there should be no cars at all.

 

Sort of like how pedestrians like the sidewalks to be free of cars? I get that there are financial issues and compromises to be made, but there is nothing particularly astonishing about cyclists not wanting to share space with vehicles that occasionally kill them.

[spanky123]

^ That is my point and exactly what Helps and Co want to do, eliminate cars from downtown period.

 

As we all know, there are no cars in European cities!

Edited by spanky123, 09 August 2020 - 03:18 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

cyclists are killed by cars in extraordinarily small numbers.

cycle groups exaggerate the numbers for political gain.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 August 2020 - 03:23 PM.