Metro Vancouver Bike/Pedestrian Discussion

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

...Vancouver does get more inches of rain, but it actually has slightly fewer rainy days (165) than Copenhagen (168). In other words, in Vancouver when it rains it pours, but it doesn't do it quite as often as in Copenhagen.

Amsterdam is also worth considering, as it is wetter than Copenhagen (186 days of rain, 779.5mm precipitation, plus an average of 15 snow days). Like Copenhagen, the bike mode share numbers are stunningly high (28% in the metro, 41% in the town centre).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam#Climate

Rain is not an excuse.

[jlousa]

Electric bike are a nonstarter for me, chugging along with an extra 20lbs for 90% of the time to have assistance up a hill just doesn't wash with me. Using electric power all of the time is even a bigger cop out as it neglects one of the biggest benefits of riding. The terrain don't stop me from riding period but it certainly sucks taking more indirect routes to avoid some grades, and the terrain certainty dictates where I end up and I avoid some places completely.
Richmond has advantages that Vancouver will never have in this regard.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

Amsterdam is also worth considering, as it is wetter than Copenhagen (186 days of rain, 779.5mm precipitation, plus an average of 15 snow days). Like Copenhagen, the bike mode share numbers are stunningly high (28% in the metro, 41% in the town centre).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam#Climate

Rain is not an excuse.

Perhaps, but then Amsterdam is flat as the proverbial Dutch pancake.

Rain is not an excuse, but it is a fact, which the City seems to be intent on glossing over when making the specious comparison to Copenhagen.

[racc]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Electric bike are a nonstarter for me, chugging along with an extra 20lbs for 90% of the time to have assistance up a hill just doesn't wash with me. Using electric power all of the time is even a bigger cop out as it neglects one of the biggest benefits of riding. The terrain don't stop me from riding period but it certainly sucks taking more indirect routes to avoid some grades, and the terrain certainty dictates where I end up and I avoid some places completely.
Richmond has advantages that Vancouver will never have in this regard.

My point is that batteries and motors are getting more powerful and lighter all the time so while it might be an extra 20lbs now, it will be significantly less in the future.

Richmond does have more headwinds though. Sometimes, it is like going uphill in both directions.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by racc

Hills will be a decreasing issue as time goes by. Electric bikes are getting cheaper, lighter and the range is improving.

Funny how they just released a report on how much obesity and smoking is costing our health care system.

So with that in mind I'd say electric bikes are pointless as they don't force you to use your muscles. Or to put it bluntly some people need to cycle and walk more.

As for the rain. This is a Vancouver if you have lived here long enough. You've learnt how to go about your business even if it is raining. And cycling is still quite possible in the rain.

The only thing that should stop people is ice and snow. And we don't get that many times of the year.

Of course for the casual cycler rain will stop them as they have no need to cycle on a rainy day. But for a commuter they really shouldn't be bothered by it.

[IanS]

Originally Posted by cabotp

Funny how they just released a report on how much obesity and smoking is costing our health care system.

So with that in mind I'd say electric bikes are pointless as they don't force you to use your muscles. Or to put it bluntly some people need to cycle and walk more.

Perhaps what we need is a law which requires people to cycle.

In addition to improving people's physical condition, it would certainly support the need for separated bike lanes.

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by racc

Hills will be a decreasing issue as time goes by. Electric bikes are getting cheaper, lighter and the range is improving.

I ride 40 km per day on mine. That gets me from Newton in Surrey to Edmonds in Burnaby there and back. I usually have 10-20% of a charge left.

I ride sometimes in the rain. I find that if you are biking less than 1/2 hr in the rain it is not too bad. Now that I have a garage instead of a closet in my condo for my wet things and bike storage it has got much easier too.

If there is 40% chance of rain or less I will ride all the way
Usually if it is only lightly drizzling and the forecast is positive I will ride all the way.
If the forecast is for rain in the afternoon I might ride all the way and wait till 6pm to skytrain back and ride the last 5.5km home.
If the forecast is for rain all day I will just take transit all the way.

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Perhaps, but then Amsterdam is flat as the proverbial Dutch pancake.

Rain is not an excuse, but it is a fact, which the City seems to be intent on glossing over when making the specious comparison to Copenhagen.

Residents that work in Richmond should be biking to work in similar numbers to Amsterdam but I am pretty sure that they are not. One look at the bike map tells the story:

http://www.translink.ca/~/media/docu...sawwassen.ashx

It shows us that most local roads do not go through blocks but end up on collector and major roads that have no cycling infrastructure on them. For example between bike routes on Railway ave, Francis, Granville Ave and Garden City (3.2 km x 1.6km) there is no cycling infrastructure.

In cities that are cycling friendly you would see bike routes every 1 km by 1km or less. Look at the bike map from Boulder, Colorado which is one of the best cycling cities in the US: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...&z=14&lci=bike

For Richmond to be cycle friendly since they do not have local roads that go through past collector roads you would need bike lanes on every arterial and collector road. By not having bike routes one every arterial and collector road you are excluding the majority of residents in Richmond!

The lack of cycling infrastructure is a MAJOR reason that people do not bike, because they do not feel safe. BUILD the INFRASTRUCTURE.

Edit: Lack of other things too like safe bike parking etc. A shopping plaza by my place doesn't have a single bike rack.
Yup there isn't a local Richmond group for VACC. Anyone want to start one?

[whatnext]

I'm pretty sure if the political leaders of Richmond felt a groundswell of voter pressure to add more bike routes they would do so. Perhaps someone needs to form a Richmond Area Cycling Coalition. And you're right, suburban street patterns make doing so a nightmare.

[DKaz]

I'm one example of not being a fan of hills, attesting to being completely unable to keep up with cabotp and Metro-One up Golden Ears Bridge on Sunday lol. I wasn't so bad before but I'm more of a rollerblader now. Had to use my wife's bicycle with a gearing system in dire need of tuning.

Electric bicycles would have the benefit of attracting more people to cycling, but the battery technology needs to improve. My coworker is an avid cyclist, she rides everyday and she just got back from a trip riding from Frankfurt to Amsterdam, she has her normal ultralight road bike but also has an electric bike for days where she only feels up to exerting half the effort to get to work or if she has to meet clients and can't afford to break a sweat (or this morning when she didn't feel like unpacking her regular bike from a box and putting it back together). They have their purposes and commuting is one of them.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by DKaz

I'm one example of not being a fan of hills, attesting to being completely unable to keep up with cabotp and Metro-One up Golden Ears Bridge on Sunday lol. I wasn't so bad before but I'm more of a rollerblader now. Had to use my wife's bicycle with a gearing system in dire need of tuning.

Electric bicycles would have the benefit of attracting more people to cycling, but the battery technology needs to improve. My coworker is an avid cyclist, she rides everyday and she just got back from a trip riding from Frankfurt to Amsterdam, she has her normal ultralight road bike but also has an electric bike for days where she only feels up to exerting half the effort to get to work or if she has to meet clients and can't afford to break a sweat (or this morning when she didn't feel like unpacking her regular bike from a box and putting it back together). They have their purposes and commuting is one of them.

It was Saturday You also had a little bit of extra weight in the back. I have to admit that I was getting tired as well climbing the Golden ears. I think the difference is mentally I'm telling myself the faster I get to the top the quicker this pain will end. So I push myself harder to get to the top. Even though I did enjoy stopping to take a break. I could of carried on as I find I usually get over the pain soon after the top of a hill.

The best way I found to climb a hill is to literally attack it. I also try to never stand up if I can help it. I try and keep a steady rhythm in the rpm of my pedals. Even still I want to get a newer bike with a longer pedal crank as mine is too short and a selection of lower gear ratios. I only have a 12 speed. I'd also love to get a bike with 27" wheels instead of my current 26" wheels. My bike is also a bit too short for me. The seat could be higher. But I tried moving it up a bit more once and on a trip home late at night I started to feel the seat falling backwards. I had to ride a good 2 km without trying to sit down.

[aberdeen5698]

They've installed stop signs at 45th & Clarendon/Elliot. I like it - it makes for a much more relaxed E/W crossing of the intersection by foot or on bicycle.

The diverter here and the new turn rules at 45th and Rupert are doing an excellent job of reducing vehicular traffic on 45th, at least between Rupert and Victoria. It's still irksome not to be able to turn left from Elliot, though.



My photo, taken today.

[cabotp]

Last night I happened to be cycling WB on 45th. Not realizing there is now a 4 way stop. So as I'm approaching the intersection. I see this vehicle going NB on Elliot and they are slowing down.

My initial reaction is why in the hell is this idiot slowing down for. They shouldn't be stopping for me. I started waving them on as I was getting pissed at the fact that they were slowing down when they don't need to even if I'm on a bike.

It wasn't until they had gone through and I was going through that I happened to glance over and see the 4-way stop sign and said oops to myself.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by cabotp

It wasn't until they had gone through and I was going through that I happened to glance over and see the 4-way stop sign and said oops to myself.

Yeah, I drive through that intersection often and still had the strong urge to slow down and stop after they initially removed the stop signs, and now I still have the strong urge to sail right through even though they've put them back up. Once you get used to a particular traffic pattern it takes some real conscious effort to change it.

[racc]

Originally Posted by cabotp

Funny how they just released a report on how much obesity and smoking is costing our health care system.

So with that in mind I'd say electric bikes are pointless as they don't force you to use your muscles. Or to put it bluntly some people need to cycle and walk more.

With an electric assist bike, people can pedal as much or as little as they want. If their other option is driving a car, they of course, don't have the option of pedalling at all. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

And now we can compare next year's BB numbers with the addition of the Hornby lanes where cyclists have somewhere to go on the north side of the bridge. Another 7%? More? It will be interesting.

I was looking at the Burrard stats for August again. Interestingly car trips are down ~ 6% compared to August 2009. Canada Line impact? Bike lane impact? I would say mostly Canada Line, maybe some bake lane impact (there are roughly 10 times more cars then bikes on the bridge, so if bike use is up ~7% and car use is down 6%, bike increase alone can only explain roughly 1/10 of the car decrease).

Interestingly enough peds on the bridge are down ~11% YOY. Where have the peds gone?

On the personal note I love traffic stats. I wish we had more access to this kind of stuff for more roads and bridges.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by WBC

On the personal note I love traffic stats. I wish we had more access to this kind of stuff for more roads and bridges.

Check out VanMap Beta, they've got a ton of traffic movement stats (almost too much).

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by cabotp

Last night I happened to be cycling WB on 45th. Not realizing there is now a 4 way stop. So as I'm approaching the intersection. I see this vehicle going NB on Elliot and they are slowing down.

My initial reaction is why in the hell is this idiot slowing down for. They shouldn't be stopping for me. I started waving them on as I was getting pissed at the fact that they were slowing down when they don't need to even if I'm on a bike.

It wasn't until they had gone through and I was going through that I happened to glance over and see the 4-way stop sign and said oops to myself.

Hmm... Look out for those traffic signs

[whatnext]

I'm a little confused. The Transportation & Traffic Committee are meeting this week and will hear submissions from the public regarding the Hornby St bike lane. Yet the City has already put up parking signs along the west side of Howe St and has the polls for the meters in, that will replace Hornby St parking. So they've obviously made up their mind regarding the lane regardless of what the submissions are. Apparently more sham "consultations" from the gang at City Hall.

[Porfiry]

The city has been accepting feedback for two months. Wake up.