Metro Vancouver Bike & Pedestrian Discussion

[WarrenC12]

You can signup for the Vancouver bike share. Discount for early signups:

http://signup.vancouverbikeshare.ca/

[officedweller]

Pics by me today of the markings for the Smithe bike lane.
New "No stopping" signed have been posted.

Haven't checked out Nelson (where shared right turn lanes have been deleted from plans)

Smithe west of Hamilton:



Right turn from the alley to Smithe looks tight with the island there.
Vehicles are allowed to run right at Homer (shared bike/vehicle lane).



There is an island marked at the corner of Richards (since Richards is one way, no right turns).

Smithe west of Richards. These are the last markings (so far?).
Vehicles would be allowed to turn right at Seymour.

[WarrenC12]

Beatty bike lane is complete. It looks to be in the same style as Richards, with parked cars forming a buffer between cyclists and traffic, at least on one side of the road.

Is this considered AAA/fully separated? It's not as nice as a concrete barrier, but still better than what existed before. Definitely nice as a pedestrian too, giving more space from traffic, although I was hoping for more.

[domusile]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You can signup for the Vancouver bike share. Discount for early signups:

http://signup.vancouverbikeshare.ca/

link is now unactive while www.vancouverbikeshare.ca redirects to the city's website

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Beatty bike lane is complete. It looks to be in the same style as Richards, with parked cars forming a buffer between cyclists and traffic, at least on one side of the road.

Is this considered AAA/fully separated? It's not as nice as a concrete barrier, but still better than what existed before. Definitely nice as a pedestrian too, giving more space from traffic, although I was hoping for more.

Really? I used the Dunsmuir lane 2 days ago and it still appears that work needs to be done on the section near Dunsmuir and Pender. That's good news if the southern section is already done.

[WarrenC12]

Some pre-work happening on the NEFC Seawall upgrades (I think):

[officedweller]

Is that short barrier to prevent stormwater from running into False Creek?

*************

Pic by me yesterday of the markings on Nelson St.

Homer to Hamilton - wide bike lane (though still one-way) and 3 vehicle lanes
Hamilton to Mainland - narrow bike lane and 1 blocklong right turn vehicle lane and 3 through vehicle lanes (the vehicle lanes dodge around because of the added lane)
Mainland to Cambie - narrow bike lane and bike rack island and 1 short right turn/through vehicle lane and 3 through vehicle lanes

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Is that short barrier to prevent stormwater from running into False Creek?

I doubt it, there are already storm drains nearby that drain into False Creek. I certainly hope it isn't permanent.

[Smooth]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I doubt it, there are already storm drains nearby that drain into False Creek. I certainly hope it isn't permanent.

It's silt fence for Erosion & Sediment Control (ESC). If they're disturbing the ground they would have to prevent any dirt/sediment from washing into neighbouring water bodies. It seems a bit over the top but given the contaminated soils in the area + the fact that this is a government project I imaging they have budgeted quite a bit for ESC.

It is a temporary measure during construction.

[officedweller]

Thanks, that's what I meant to ask.

[officedweller]

The Beatty St Armoury wasn't properly consulted before its loading zone was eliminated for the bike lane:
http://www.cknw.com/2016/06/01/battle-brewing-over-beatty-bike-lane/

The easiest thing to do may be to create a loading bay in the parkette next door.

[wrenegade]

The Hornby bike lane has already caused westbound Smithe Street (turning right onto Burrard/Hornby) traffic to back up to Granville street in the mornings. I'm guessing we'll see the same at Seymour with traffic backed up to Homer or Hamilton. The afternoons are going to be a mess on Nelson too with traffic coming in and out of Yaletown.

As someone who commutes on this route every day (by both car and bike), it is my opinion that both of these lanes are a mistake. Smithe/Nelson are the only streets leading to and from the Cambie bridge. Most Burrard bridge traffic still travels on Burrard itself, or traffic has the choice of Thurlow, or a (reduced) Hornby street now. Cambie doesn't offer any other options. Helmcken doesn't go through, and Robson will soon permanently stop at Hornby/Howe. In addition to the effect on car traffic, Smithe is a terrible street to bike on. Westbound traffic has quite a hill to climb and the timing of the lights is set up for cars, not bikes. When I ride the route in the morning, it is much much nicer to turn right on Beatty and go to Robson. Really, that is where the bike lane should have gone. It's already a much quieter street. As for Nelson, it is only a matter of time before there is an accident involving a cyclist coming down the hill with a decent rate of speed, and someone trying to enter or exit Yaletown.

I could not disagree with these bike lanes more. Thankfully, I am moving in about a month and a half-two months and I'll only have to deal with the BS of construction briefly. Although, I'll probably be riding too and from work mostly and taking the Cambie->Beatty->Robson route I already take.

[officedweller]

Just occurred to me -
I wonder if those right turn lanes into Yaletown (Mainland) and to Cambie will have a dedicated right turn signal (like right turns off Hornby)?

And likewise, "no right turn on red" from Seymour to Nelson, Homer to Nelson, Hamilton to Nelson, Cambie to Nelson, etc.?

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Beatty St Armoury wasn't properly consulted before its loading zone was eliminated for the bike lane:
http://www.cknw.com/2016/06/01/battle-brewing-over-beatty-bike-lane/

The easiest thing to do may be to create a loading bay in the parkette next door.

Let them rip it up should they need to use the area in case of an emergency and bill the work to the city. That will make city hall understand how stupid these separated lanes are.

[Large Cat]

I was downtown late at night tonight, and it looks like the Cambie separated lane is being done all in one go tonight, at least the sections on either side of Hastings. I'll go check it out in the morning and hopefully take pictures.

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

The Hornby bike lane has already caused westbound Smithe Street (turning right onto Burrard/Hornby) traffic to back up to Granville street in the mornings. I'm guessing we'll see the same at Seymour with traffic backed up to Homer or Hamilton. The afternoons are going to be a mess on Nelson too with traffic coming in and out of Yaletown.

As someone who commutes on this route every day (by both car and bike), it is my opinion that both of these lanes are a mistake. Smithe/Nelson are the only streets leading to and from the Cambie bridge. Most Burrard bridge traffic still travels on Burrard itself, or traffic has the choice of Thurlow, or a (reduced) Hornby street now. Cambie doesn't offer any other options. Helmcken doesn't go through, and Robson will soon permanently stop at Hornby/Howe. In addition to the effect on car traffic, Smithe is a terrible street to bike on. Westbound traffic has quite a hill to climb and the timing of the lights is set up for cars, not bikes. When I ride the route in the morning, it is much much nicer to turn right on Beatty and go to Robson. Really, that is where the bike lane should have gone. It's already a much quieter street. As for Nelson, it is only a matter of time before there is an accident involving a cyclist coming down the hill with a decent rate of speed, and someone trying to enter or exit Yaletown.

I could not disagree with these bike lanes more. Thankfully, I am moving in about a month and a half-two months and I'll only have to deal with the BS of construction briefly. Although, I'll probably be riding too and from work mostly and taking the Cambie->Beatty->Robson route I already take.

As someone who lives in the area, most of the Thurlow traffic is not to get on Burrard, but turns left at Nelson to get on the Cambie Bridge, so I don't Thurlow or Hornby are big "release valves".

I think by the nature of the street network, you need to have a bike lane, at the very least on Nelson. I think the plan is to extend them all the way to Hornby and across the Cambie Bridge. This would provide a great connection where one is lacking right now. A lot of the complaints you mention I think also apply to the Dunsmuir route, and while not ideal, as big a major success for cyclists.

[WarrenC12]

I think it's important to mirror the commuter route of the Cambie St. bridge (using Nelson and Smithe).

Time will tell if these new lanes generate accident hot spots, and hopefully those can be addressed without too much trouble.

[officedweller]

Yeah, time will tell:

For Nelson:
Nelson doesn't really back up now, because the timed lights speed flow through the intersections. The jam-up occurs at the south end of Cambie Bridge at the first light - so no change in that respect.
The question is whether right turn restrictions (traffic lights?) will cause cars to back up into through-travel lanes.

For Smithe:
Outside of morning (?) rush hours, the lane occupied by the bike lane had parked cars - so no real change outside of rush hours.
I think there may be back-ups in rush hours (including evening inbound traffic), but unlike Nelson (likely due to the slower uphill speed of cyclists) there are shared right turn lanes which may not cause right turning cars to back-up into through-travel lanes.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yeah, time will tell:

For Nelson:
Nelson doesn't really back up now, because the timed lights speed flow through the intersections. The jam-up occurs at the south end of Cambie Bridge at the first light - so no change in that respect.
The question is whether right turn restrictions (traffic lights?) will cause cars to back up into through-travel lanes.

For Smithe:
Outside of morning (?) rush hours, the lane occupied by the bike lane had parked cars - so no real change outside of rush hours.
I think there may be back-ups in rush hours (including evening inbound traffic), but unlike Nelson (likely due to the slower uphill speed of cyclists) there are shared right turn lanes which may not cause right turning cars to back-up into through-travel lanes.

That all seems logical. I am assuming the City has a few operations engineers who calculate the differences these types of changes are expected to generate. I'd love to see some of those background calculations.

[Large Cat]

Photos of the new Beatty lanes (mostly complete)

Looking towards Nelson. Note a possible Mobi station location in front of the Canada Post truck.


Recycling bins in the lane on the southbound side:


A little tight with the delivery truck:


Looks good from this angle:


Looking east at instersection of Smithe and Beatty. It looks like the city pressure cleaned all the old paint off and will be painting new bike boxes and so on here.


Some drivers park stupidly enough that cyclists are still within dooring range:


Looks like a potential spot for a Mobi station at Beatty and Robson!


Crossbike treatment at Beatty and Robson. Will there be green paint?


How the right turn situation is set up at SB Beatty and Robson:


Canada Post van parked in the lane NB Beatty near the Armoury:


Cars turning right onto Georgia. Not fun for cyclists. These cars were hovering on top of the bike lane waiting to turn, not just crossing over it.


Is this for a left-turn bike box onto Dunsmuir?


Again the paint has been scrubbed off for new a new treatment:


New Cambie NB-only Lane

Looking north from Dunsmuir and Cambie. Concrete barriers not yet installed but stencilled in.


Closer to Pender:


Looking north from Cambie and Pender:


Right turn situation from Cambie onto Hastings EB. Looks like bikes will be separated with a concrete barrier, but this doesn't mean cars won't turn/hover right in front of them as at Beatty and Georgia.

The lane north of Hastings isn't painted at all yet, just stencilled in with cars/trucks parked on top.