Metro Vancouver Bike/Pedestrian Discussion - Page 75

SpikePhanta · #**1481** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 2:30 AM**

Did anyone read in the comments Backfeed, in the province today?

Some stupid person suggest that Cars causes UV rays to get stronger and in 30 years we'll be sunburned in 5 minS! ridiculous!

Anyways, I dont see why we need seperated bike lanes? I think it would be fine if it was like Europe where Drivers and Cyclist share the road with respect for each other.

deasine · #**1482** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpikePhanta

Anyways, I dont see why we need seperated bike lanes? I think it would be fine if it was like Europe where Drivers and Cyclist share the road with respect for each other.

Fill me in here... I thought many European cities with rel. high cycling rates have an established separated cycletrack network.

Porfiry · #**1483** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 4:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpikePhanta

Anyways, I dont see why we need seperated bike lanes? I think it would be fine if it was like Europe where Drivers and Cyclist share the road with respect for each other.

Safety, actual and perceived.

SpongeG · #**1484** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 5:42 AM**

i skimmed these could be posted in here already...

Bike lane on Kingsway proposed by residents

By Carlito Pablo, October 7, 2010

Some residents of East Vancouver’s Norquay Village neighbourhood are suggesting that a bike lane be installed on their portion of Kingsway.

“What community members have said is that a lot of the bikers are using the sidewalk because they feel it’s too dangerous riding on the road,” resident Larry Deschner told the Straight in a phone interview.

Deschner is a member of a local volunteer group that’s monitoring the ongoing planning process by city staff for Norquay, an area centred on Kingsway between Gladstone and Killarney streets.

City planners are pushing for more residential and commercial density in the predominantly single-family-residential neighbourhood.

“What they’re looking at doing is increasing the height of the buildings along Kingsway to six storeys instead of four, and then getting a setback so the sidewalks are wider,” Deschner said. “When they do that, we’re asking them to put in a bike lane between the sidewalk and the street. So…it’s still three lanes clear for traffic. But we’re hoping to get a bike lane with that extra sidewalk space.”

City staff will meet with residents about the Norquay Village plan from 6:30 to 8 p.m. today (October 7) in the community room of the Vancouver Public Library’s Renfrew branch (2969 East 22nd Avenue).

Asked if six-storey buildings are acceptable to Norquay residents, Deschner said, “Some people like four. This is where we’re debating. Some like six. So that’s something in the air. That’s what we’re hoping to get talked about more at this meeting.”

Deschner’s group has drawn up a list of recommendations regarding the Norquay planning process. The list was one of three documents included with the group’s October 4 letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson and city council.

...

http://www.straight.com/article-3515...osed-residents

SpongeG · #**1485** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 5:43 AM**

SkyTrain service expanded to accommodate cyclists

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun October 6, 2010

METRO VANCOUVER --TransLink will keep three extra trains running at the end of rush hour to serve cyclists.

Spokesman Drew Snider said the trains will make one extra run at rush hour from King George station in Surrey to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver. This would maintain near rush hour service along that line for an extra 15 minutes and provide another 18 to 36 bike spaces.

The decision was made after a cyclist noted that SkyTrain usually starts reducing service to "mid-day" levels right at the time when bikes are allowed on the trains. During the morning rush hour, for instance, trains run every four minutes from King George to Waterfront and every 108 seconds along the combined Expo-Millennium line between Columbia and Waterfront. But after 9 a.m., the frequency is reduced to every six minutes from King George and every three minutes on the other line.

Cyclists are not allowed on SkyTrain during the morning rush hour (start of service until 9 a.m.) going towards downtown Vancouver and in the afternoon rush hour (4-6 p.m.) leaving Vancouver.

"We're seeing here the flexibility of SkyTrain's driverless system," Doug Kelsey, president of B.C. Rapid Transit Co. said in a statement. "We heard this customer's legitimate concern, saw there was a solution and were able to say 'let's do it'."

...

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/SkyTrain...#ixzz11k8vRZbw

tybuilding · #**1486** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deasine

Fill me in here... I thought many European cities with rel. high cycling rates have an established separated cycletrack network.

Europe does have separated bike lanes and regular lanes on some streets. I think that you would find if you looked at Google streetview in popular cycling cities is that pretty much every street is bike able with room reserved for bikes with bike lanes or separated facilities. Copenhaggen typically has bike lanes that are slightly higher (2") and are around 2-2.4 m wide. Bikes are given priority with bikes stopping for lights ahead of cars.

Amsterdam for example has a lot of bike lanes and connecting side streets. On the busier streets they have separate lanes: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...52.46,,0,16.44 - Damrack Street, Amsterdam.

In the newer town areas in the Netherlands they have mostly separated bike paths. They look typically like this: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...48.49,,0,23.68
From Beverwyjk you can see this is an industrial area or office/industrial park, where around here in the suburbs this would be the cars only practically.

You may want to read this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_in_the_Netherlands

"The Netherlands are well equipped with cycle-paths and other segregated cycle facilities. The network stretches to all provinces, and the bordering nations - Belgium and Germany. The country values its cycleways as much as any other method of transportation - like a network of roads, these cycleways can take one from any city to a destination of choice - even long distances such as from Maastricht to Amsterdam. As a result, the quality of these cycleways is very high, and cycling at considerable speed is possible. These cycleways come in many forms, with their own sets of rules and systems - including traffic signals (or traffic lights), tunnels and lanes."

Notice they even have city to city paths not just a shoulder on a highway.

deasine · #**1487** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 7:40 PM**

^I was actually being sarcastic haha. Part of my area of study actually revolves around bike networks in Europe. But thanks for more info =)

tybuilding · #**1488** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 7:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deasine

^I was actually being sarcastic haha. Part of my area of study actually revolves around bike networks in Europe. But thanks for more info =)

Hehe I meant to quote Spikephanta

Porfiry · #**1489** Posted **Oct 8, 2010, 8:33 PM**

An interesting short video about the installation of a separated bikeway in Brooklyn, which has helped encourage ridership over the Manhattan bridge triple in volume:
http://www.streetfilms.org/sands-str...an-cycletrack/

whatnext · #**1490** Posted **Oct 9, 2010, 5:03 AM**

Editorial from today's Province. Offered without comment.

Editorial: Vision doesn't care what you think

It's a wonder how long Vancouver voters will continue to endure Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Visionaries, given their appalling contempt for democracy and due process, on display again with their Hornby bike-lane project.

It may be a while, unfortunately, since the city has no obvious or capable opposition at the moment to temper debate or help craft more moderate public policy....

...As a further affront to the intelligence of citizens, Vision continues to claim all these bike lanes are "pilot projects."

Vision's disdain for the many people who live, work and do business in Vancouver who hold differing views and its disinterest in considering alternative ideas that could lead to better, more popular policies is a terrible shame for Vancouver. From the HEAT homeless shelters, to the West End STIR fiasco, to the bike lanes, to the obsessive Green agenda, the mayor and his party have shown a disturbing inability to consider other views. It may haunt them come next election.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/opinion/E...#ixzz11ppCxTd7

madmigs · #**1491** Posted **Oct 9, 2010, 5:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Editorial from today's Province. Offered without comment.

Editorial: Vision doesn't care what you think

It's a wonder how long Vancouver voters will continue to endure Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Visionaries, given their appalling contempt for democracy and due process, on display again with their Hornby bike-lane project.

It may be a while, unfortunately, since the city has no obvious or capable opposition at the moment to temper debate or help craft more moderate public policy....

...As a further affront to the intelligence of citizens, Vision continues to claim all these bike lanes are "pilot projects."

Vision's disdain for the many people who live, work and do business in Vancouver who hold differing views and its disinterest in considering alternative ideas that could lead to better, more popular policies is a terrible shame for Vancouver. From the HEAT homeless shelters, to the West End STIR fiasco, to the bike lanes, to the obsessive Green agenda, the mayor and his party have shown a disturbing inability to consider other views. It may haunt them come next election.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/opinion/E...#ixzz11ppCxTd7

And yet the funny thing is that the obsessive green agenda and the bike lanes were in Vision's election platform.

Porfiry · #**1492** Posted **Oct 9, 2010, 5:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Editorial: Vision doesn't care what you think

Actually they do care, given that more people support the bike lane than oppose it. You're on the wrong side of progress.

tybuilding · #**1493** Posted **Oct 13, 2010, 9:30 PM**

I heard from the City of Surrey that the new standard for painted bike lanes is 1.8 m over the 1.5 m it is now. The narrower lanes are pretty noticeable when your out riding on streets with 60 km/h (Fraser Highway) or even 70 km/h (King George Blvd south of 60th to Highway 10). 50 km/h streets are not too bad with the 1.5m lanes.

On a side note I am always pretty amazed at the number of commuting cyclists in Vancouver when I am out there. I had the chance to bike the Ontario St route from 30th to the Olympic Village. I counted 38 cyclists in about a 10-15 minute ride. On my typical daily commute from Newton to Burnaby and back I wouldn't normally see that many riders.

WarrenC12 · #**1494** Posted **Oct 13, 2010, 11:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tybuilding

On a side note I am always pretty amazed at the number of commuting cyclists in Vancouver when I am out there. I had the chance to bike the Ontario St route from 30th to the Olympic Village. I counted 38 cyclists in about a 10-15 minute ride. On my typical daily commute from Newton to Burnaby and back I wouldn't normally see that many riders.

Ontario and Yukon are extremely busy bike routes.

On a side note, it looks like the city is doing about 8 things at once on Hornby St. I'm sure the traffic delays will all get blamed on "those lousy cyclists".

SFUVancouver · #**1495** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 4:35 AM**

^ I was riding on Hornby the other day when the street was backed up from Robson to Smithe. I got some scowls but I chose to be even more polite than normal and adhered to vehicle merging etiquette when the bicycle lane ran out. It turns out that at Robson and Hornby there were two things going on; the Hornby bike lane construction and some sort of load-in/load-out for the Robson Square reno.

cabotp · #**1496** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 9:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tybuilding

I heard from the City of Surrey that the new standard for painted bike lanes is 1.8 m over the 1.5 m it is now. The narrower lanes are pretty noticeable when your out riding on streets with 60 km/h (Fraser Highway) or even 70 km/h (King George Blvd south of 60th to Highway 10). 50 km/h streets are not too bad with the 1.5m lanes.

On a side note I am always pretty amazed at the number of commuting cyclists in Vancouver when I am out there. I had the chance to bike the Ontario St route from 30th to the Olympic Village. I counted 38 cyclists in about a 10-15 minute ride. On my typical daily commute from Newton to Burnaby and back I wouldn't normally see that many riders.

I cycle along the Windsor route. Although this is around 2:40pm. So there are probably more people during the peak. I pass at least 2-3 regulars going the other way. In fact one of them depending on where I pass them. I can tell if I'm ahead of schedule or behind. Which tells me if I can take it easy or push myself to go faster. I'm trying to catch the 2:58pm train at VCC-Clark or the before it if I leave early enough.

Even coming home after midnight. While I'm usually the only one. Sometimes I've seen a few people cycling along 10th as I make the jog from Glen to Windsor.

radacal · #**1497** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 7:22 PM**

Hornby - it's a gong show pretty much all day. Stay off of it unless you're looking to catch up on some reading...

Porfiry · #**1498** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 7:34 PM**

Momentum grows for on-street bike corrals in Vancouver
http://www.straight.com/article-3525...t-bike-corrals

Quote:

A local coffee guru says he’d be “quite happy” to see the city-installed high-capacity bike stall outside his Commercial Drive café replicated at his other Vancouver locations.

According to North Vancouver resident John Neate, founder and owner of J J Bean Coffee Roasters, the stall has not affected sales and it has been a huge hit with staff and customers since city crews erected it on a trial basis in August. Before that, according to Neate, staff and patrons shared a three-bike rack outside the store, meaning employees had gear “strapped everywhere” in the workplace.

“So for us, it [the new stall] was good,” Neate told the Georgia Straight in his Drive café. “We didn’t even dream about complaining about it, because it was actually a godsend that they did it. Almost every one of our [nine Vancouver] stores are corner locations, so I would be quite happy to have these in all our locations.”

cornholio · #**1499** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 8:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porfiry

Actually they do care, given that more people support the bike lane than oppose it. You're on the wrong side of progress.

Anyone who thinks or believes this is not living in reality.
I suggest taking a look at how you interpret and filter the information out there.

duener · #**1500** Posted **Oct 14, 2010, 8:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cornholio

Anyone who thinks or believes this is not living in reality.
I suggest taking a look at how you interpret and filter the information out there.

Hmm... I guess I don't live in reality then. I have to admit though, I quite enjoy the new bike sharing in London. It might not be reality, but it sure is convenient... it's good to see Vancouver is progressing towards non-reality too!