3745 replies to this topic

[Jackerbie]

Where's the need for bikes to quickly merge left?

There appears to be at least a 30 meter bike lane for any cyclists continuing along Esquimalt.

To get to that bike lane a cyclist needs to cross the vehicle lane. There's a bike lane on the shoulder that abruptly ends and becomes a sharrow just before the bike lane in your picture begins.

The general consensus in the engineering world these days is that slip lanes are not great on urban roads in that they prioritize the speed and convenience of drivers over the safety of other road users.

In a perfect world the surplus road space would be added to the Dockside Green lands and we'd get a nice street wall at that corner, but we're likely going to end up with a weird plaza instead.

[Nparker]

...The general consensus in the engineering world these days is that slip lanes are not great on urban roads...

Even if, as in this case, they create additional idling time for cars at this this intersection.

[FogPub]

Unless they leave a slip lane for bikes only, it'll also be less efficient for any cyclists wanting to make that right turn as they'll have to slow to almost a complete stop at the now-much-sharper corner.

 

But who needs efficient transportation anyway?

[Citified.ca]

New roads, infrastructure improvements coming to Langford amid population and industry growth

https://victoria.cit...ndustry-growth/

[Brantastic]

Is there anywhere to view the plans for these changes, Mike? I'm mostly curious if the changes to Happy Valley and Glen Lake Rds at Sooke Rd incorporate any improvements for the Galloping Goose crossing there. That's probably the most dangerous road crossing of the entire regional bike trail network that I can think of. 

[Mike K.]

Unfortunately nothing to that level of detail. My understanding is, recalling the actual plans, is that cyclists will now cross at the intersection to access the trail on the south side instead of ending up beyond the feed shop. I think presently you can scoot down a path before the feed shop that lines up with the intersection.

[Brantastic]

Right now the little side path leads to the Happy Valley intersection, and to cross legally you'd need to dismount since there's no elephant's feet markings, then use the highway shoulder that essentially functions as an unprotected, unmarked two-way bike path, sidewalk, and angle parking for the bike shop on the corner. So the existing set up is pretty awful, even if you already know to take this awkward, more circuitous rote. To new comers who aren't familiar with this part of the trail, they may not know to turn onto the side trail to the intersection and continue straight along the path that ends up at the highway, see the path continues directly across Sooke Rd and try to cross on a blind corner of what drivers treat like a highway. It's a dangerous set up.

[Mike K.]

I don’t think you’ll be able to cross any more as Glen Lake will close there, if I’m not mistaken?

[Cats4Hire]

Depending on how it works maybe. For example Carey/Ravine (the only crosswalk on the list I regularly use so I'll speak to it) currently if there's a large amount of pedestrians (say a 30 and 70 both just dropped off a bunch of passengers) and a couple cars are trying to turn left it's possible they block everyone for almost, if not the entire, light cycle. If instead pedestrians go then it's red for pedestrians as cars on Ravine get to turn left without sitting there waiting for the pedestrians. I think this system would be particularly useful places such as the busy intersections downtown where you can sit on Yates waiting forever to turn right onto Douglas as pedestrians just keep coming.

used this today and yeah it makes it so if the button is pressed at some point only pedestrians will be going. I did notice the light allowing traffic to move on Ravine turned green before the pedestrian cycle was complete though

[Victoria Watcher]

Greater Victoria residents have until March 24 to comment on plans to improve Highway 17 northbound at Keating Cross Road where plans call for a new “flyover”overpass.

 

The overpass would eliminate left turns across highway traffic onto Keating Cross Road and East Saanich Road for northbound traffic heading west. Plans also call for a realigned southbound on-ramp to Victoria from Keating Cross Road, new bus-on-shoulder facilities supporting long-term plans for bus rapid transit on Highway 17 and the widening of Keating Cross Road (between highway ramps to Central Saanich Road) to accommodate pedestrians, among other changes.

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....entral-saanich/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 February 2021 - 02:58 PM.

[FogPub]

^ They're still seeking input on this?  I thought construction was supposed to have started by now.

[Darren14]

Random question. With the Mckenzie overpass and the extra lane by ice cream mountain done... Is there any more construction plans from Mckenzie to South Shawnigan lake turn off planned in the next year? I'm hoping for a year without construction for once lol 

[Mike K.]

There is work being done along the new four-lane corner just past Leigh Road, for southbound traffic. The corner is one-lane and 60km/h reduced speed between West Shore and Leigh. Once that's done I think it'll be smooth sailing for this coming summer.

 

The only major project is Highway 14 between Connie Road and Glinz Lake Road as they expand the highway to four lanes there.

[Victoria Watcher]

Firstly: The 500-metre concrete balustrade was removed and replaced with a pathetic, extremely ineffective, steel-and-cable fence that allows all debris onto the walkway for possible injuries and allows children, etc., to fall into the ocean.

 

The walkway now needs to be closed during windy winter weather. This wasn’t a positive addition.

Secondly: The addition of the expanded Dallas Road walkway, seating area and bike lanes forced the road to be narrowed and will utterly destroy the movement of local traffic once the 1.5 million cruise-ship visitors arrive.

 

How are those tourists travelling on our 20-passenger horsedrawn carriages, the Tally-Ho carriage tours, shuttle buses, the 56-passenger tour buses, pedicabs, antique cars going to have a safe and relaxing trip along this route?

 

The gridlock and road rage and lack of safety for the horses will be disastrous. Let’s just pop in the factor of a possible tsunami or earthquake – now what happens? With all the earthquakes and possible tsunamis, how are people going to leave James Bay quickly or at all?

 

Victoria sits directly atop a fault line, the Leech River fault, that can cause highly destructive shallow earthquakes. Victoria is also imperiled by “inslab” earthquakes — small slips from deep within the subduction zone that can radiate upwards.

 

James Bay is the most affected area in the city, as it’s surrounded on three sides by water and at sea level. Has that ever entered the minds of anyone working at City Hall, or have they decided to simply toss the James Bay folks into the “deep end,” so to speak.

 

There is another utterly catastrophic plan to put bike lanes on two north-south routes, Government Street and Montreal Street. Two east-west options, Superior Street and Michigan Street, are also being considered for bikes.

 

What is wrong with City Hall? Have they ever thought about the safety of anyone other than the few cyclists living here?

 

 

https://www.timescol...turn-1.24292416

 

 

 

 

 

 

we have children (and "etc.") falling into the ocean.  earthquakes.  buses and horse carriages mixing.  rising sea levels.  "destruction" of the movement of local traffic.  road rage.  tidal waves.  and bike lanes.  

 

and that's just the portion i clipped.

 

​i'm sure there is famine, insurrection, civil war, plague, crop failure, death and destruction of other means too in the rest of the letter. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 11 March 2021 - 01:38 AM.

[mbjj]

Is the city building a roundabout at Cook and Southgate?

[sebberry]

Is the city building a roundabout at Cook and Southgate?

 

Looks like it!  Not sure why, it'd be far better a little further down the road, say about Cook and Dallas.

[Nparker]

Is the city building a roundabout at Cook and Southgate?

But Southgate doesn't even cross Cook Street. What's the point?

[Rex Waverly]

But Southgate doesn't even cross Cook Street. What's the point?

 

I'm not familiar with the existing volumes on Southgate or the conditions at that intersection; is there an issue with turning left onto Cook? It could be that upgraded traffic control (signal or roundabout) is warranted.  Or possibly they are expecting more traffic turning left onto Cook since Vancouver is not an option.  

 

Another reason could be to provide a u-turn functionality; this could allow some of the nearby side roads to be restriced to right-in and / or right-out (replacing lefts with a right + u-turn movement) to improve operations.

 

(Again, i'm not super familiar with the volumes / conditions on this corridor, so this is just a guess....)

[newbie_01]

more traffic turning left onto Cook since Vancouver is not an option.  

 

that's been a bad left turn at certain times of the day for years. I figured a traffic light should be put in, or whatever's being done there now!

Edited by newbie_01, 11 March 2021 - 05:00 PM.

[Jackerbie]

The Fairfield Neighbourhood Plan adopted in 2019 identified Cook at Southgate for intersection improvements. There was a desire from CSV residents and businesses to slow traffic through the village.

Other potential intersection improvements along Cook Street include Fairfield, Oscar, Park, May, and Dallas.