Metro Vancouver Bike/Pedestrian Discussion

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by crazyjoeda

I finally upgraded my old phone and got the new iPhone. Does anyone know of any good apps for cycling preferably one that can be used for running and hiking as well. I'd like the app to be able to track my route, record average speed, top speed and elevation gain.

I use Endomondo on an Android phone - I'd imagine they have it for iPhone too. It works great. Does everything you list, auto syncs to your account so you can review everything on your laptop after as well etc. For cycling, gives top speed, average speed, breaks it down to per km, fastest, slowest, elevation gain/drop etc.

http://www.endomondo.com/login

[Metro-One]

Thanks for the help guys!

[DKaz]

I use Cyclemeter 6.0. Pretty awesome app. Connects with dailymile.com which is like the Facebook of cycling. Has audio alerts of your current speed (I set it to announce every minute or km) so if you don't have an iPhone mount for your bicycle you can still hear your speed.

[tybuilding]

Bike to Work Week

Log your commutes, win prizes, visit commuter stations for food, drinks and prizes.

Here is a video I made promoting it. A pumpkin riding a bike:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae57g...ature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Video Link

[b5baxter]

Remember to vote....

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by b5baxter

Remember to vote....

Seville, ah yes, the city in Spain with a 25% unemployment rate and in the country highest twin deficit of any in the world, bar Iceland.

Perhaps they should have been watching their infrastructure spending a little more closely.

[logan5]

Every km of new bike lane brings Canada ever closer to the brink of disaster. Stop the madness now.

[racc]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Seville, ah yes, the city in Spain with a 25% unemployment rate and in the country highest twin deficit of any in the world, bar Iceland.

Perhaps they should have been watching their infrastructure spending a little more closely.

It certainly was not the bike lanes that were the cause of the deficit. This whole network only cost around $42 million dollars. To put that in perspective, the Highway 1 expansion is around $90 million per km.

Cycling infrastructure is truly a transportation bargain. It also really makes sense when unemployment is high so people have affordable transportation to help them look for jobs.

Anyway, this is a cycling thread. How about cutting the negative comments that have nothing to do with cycling at all.

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by racc

It certainly was not the bike lanes that were the cause of the deficit. This whole network only cost around $42 million dollars. To put that in perspective, the Highway 1 expansion is around $90 million per km.

Cycling infrastructure is truly a transportation bargain. It also really makes sense when unemployment is high so people have affordable transportation to help them look for jobs.

Anyway, this is a cycling thread. How about cutting the negative comments that have nothing to do with cycling at all.

Yup, putting things into perspective the gateway project is costing $3 Billion. That is $1429 for each and every person in Metro Vancouver. Though I am thankful that cyclists get a multi-use path across the river. In Surrey the portion for cycling was spent on pedestrian crosswalk improvements on 148 street. Officially cyclists got a bike lane out of it too but it is not super. Around each pedestrian improvement the asphalt is cut out and repaved but typically the pavement is rougher and there is an edge that often separates from the rest of the roadway. The crosswalks are not even really that safe:


To build the new 1.8m bike lanes we are using 3.6m of road space. Surrey could have made separated 2 way bike facilities in the same amount of space.
My Drawing

[deasine]

Originally Posted by tybuilding

To build the new 1.8m bike lanes we are using 3.6m of road space. Surrey could have made separated 2 way bike facilities in the same amount of space.
My Drawing

Much agreed. And in some areas, even a physical barrier may not necessarily be needed. Painted islands themselves already form a barrier between general traffic and cyclists. Coupled with a parking buffer, two-way cycling facilities can be built with little additional cost.

Here's an example of Brooklyn bike lanes at Prospect Park West:


(Planetizen, 2011)

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by deasine

Much agreed. And in some areas, even a physical barrier may not necessarily be needed. Painted islands themselves already form a barrier between general traffic and cyclists. Coupled with a parking buffer, two-way cycling facilities can be built with little additional cost.

Here's an example of Brooklyn bike lanes at Prospect Park West:

Yes exactly. Though I was thinking we could just use the same type of plastic barriers as the Patullo bridge has.
Google Streetview Patullo Bridge as the number of parked cars are very few in some stretches.

Doing bike lanes like this should be cheaper than digging out the roadway at each intersection to make curb bulges. You can also just use temporary type curbs.

By the way for great street photos: Richard Drdul Transportation Photos

[IanS]

Originally Posted by b5baxter

Remember to vote....

I wasn't aware we could vote in Seville.

[racc]

Originally Posted by deasine

Much agreed. And in some areas, even a physical barrier may not necessarily be needed. Painted islands themselves already form a barrier between general traffic and cyclists. Coupled with a parking buffer, two-way cycling facilities can be built with little additional cost.

Here's an example of Brooklyn bike lanes at Prospect Park West:


(Planetizen, 2011)

The green surface is likely rather expensive. Putting in barriers might actually be less expensive. Barriers are also needed to keep vehicles out where loading and passenger drop off occurs. I expect that this might not be an issue in this case as it appears to be along a park.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by racc

The green surface is likely rather expensive. Putting in barriers might actually be less expensive. Barriers are also needed to keep vehicles out where loading and passenger drop off occurs. I expect that this might not be an issue in this case as it appears to be along a park.

Well I never said anything about a green surface, but on the topic of colorued surfaces, I find it very interesting how in New York, the entire bike lanes are coloured, whereas in other cities around the world, it is generally only limited to intersections. From what I recall, I believe Copenhagen previously studied the effectiveness of coloured surfaces and found that coloured surfaces were only more effective at areas of potential conflict, the intersection.

[tybuilding]

Vancouver Bike Share Proposal

A very good proposal for the bike share for Vancouver, I like it!

www.bikeshare.ca

Vancouver is on the verge of becoming one of a growing number of global cities to benefit from the creation of a Public Bike Share System. With the concept’s potential first realized in Paris, Public Bike Share systems now dot the globe and exist (or will shortly) in almost every major city in North America, and many major centers across Europe and Asia.

Paris has over 24,000 bikes that have taken over 100 million trips since 2007.

Montreal has had 3 million trips & 30,000 subscribers in its first 2 years.

London saw 1 million trips in 100 days

PBS is a network of bike stations conveniently located every 2-3 blocks within the city. The bikes are robust, highly visible and are widely available to locals and visitors alike. Use your credit card or monthly pass to take a bike when you need one and return it to any station when you’re finished with it.

The benefits of Public Bike Share are numerous and indisputable. Public Bike Share is not a trend. It is the next major step in the global evolution of urban living.

The proposed BSBC system will include 80 stations and 800 bikes in Vancouver’s downtown peninsula and will extend around South False Creek to Granville Island. There will also be 20 stations and 200 bikes at UBC. Those in downtown Vancouver are scheduled for implementation in April 2012 and those at UBC will be implemented in August.

Bikeshare.ca

Picture from the Price Tags Blog:



Price Tags Blog

They have the helmets solved too:
Price Tags Blog
Each time you rent a bike, you will be asked “do you need a helmet?” If yes, you will pay an extra dollar and a $25 deposit for one. Your deposit will be returned when you drop the helmet off into the helmet return chute at the next station. After each use, the helmets’ structural integrity will be checked and they will be thoroughly sanitized using a proven two-step cleaning process with built-in redundancy.

[officedweller]

My concern would be that helmets are not "one-size fits all" and if you are providing a helmet, there would be an implied warranty that it would serve its function (not just be cosmetic to meet a regulatory requirement) - so if someone is injured from an ill-fitting helmet, then you're liable.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by officedweller

My concern would be that helmets are not "one-size fits all" and if you are providing a helmet, there would be an implied warranty that it would serve its function (not just be cosmetic to meet a regulatory requirement) - so if someone is injured from an ill-fitting helmet, then you're liable.

I'm not a lawyer, but I'd assume that it's trivial to include a release from liability in the terms of use, either as a blanket clause or specifically in cases of misuse or improper fit. eg. the waivers that ski resorts use.

[Echowinds]

Considering that the helmet laws is the main barrier to a bike share system, if the helmet share actually works, it would be great.

I can see it justify even more bike lanes too.

[s211]

Originally Posted by tybuilding

Vancouver Bike Share Proposal

A very good proposal for the bike share for Vancouver, I like it!

www.bikeshare.ca

Vancouver is on the verge of becoming one of a growing number of global cities to benefit from the creation of a Public Bike Share System. With the concept’s potential first realized in Paris, Public Bike Share systems now dot the globe and exist (or will shortly) in almost every major city in North America, and many major centers across Europe and Asia.

Paris has over 24,000 bikes that have taken over 100 million trips since 2007.

Montreal has had 3 million trips & 30,000 subscribers in its first 2 years.

London saw 1 million trips in 100 days

PBS is a network of bike stations conveniently located every 2-3 blocks within the city. The bikes are robust, highly visible and are widely available to locals and visitors alike. Use your credit card or monthly pass to take a bike when you need one and return it to any station when you’re finished with it.

The benefits of Public Bike Share are numerous and indisputable. Public Bike Share is not a trend. It is the next major step in the global evolution of urban living.

The proposed BSBC system will include 80 stations and 800 bikes in Vancouver’s downtown peninsula and will extend around South False Creek to Granville Island. There will also be 20 stations and 200 bikes at UBC. Those in downtown Vancouver are scheduled for implementation in April 2012 and those at UBC will be implemented in August.

Bikeshare.ca

Picture from the Price Tags Blog:



Price Tags Blog

They have the helmets solved too:
Price Tags Blog
Each time you rent a bike, you will be asked “do you need a helmet?” If yes, you will pay an extra dollar and a $25 deposit for one. Your deposit will be returned when you drop the helmet off into the helmet return chute at the next station. After each use, the helmets’ structural integrity will be checked and they will be thoroughly sanitized using a proven two-step cleaning process with built-in redundancy.

Those things will get bashed to threads within a month. There's too many crackheads out there that will get their hands on these things and go freaky on them. I guarantee it.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

I'm not a lawyer, but I'd assume that it's trivial to include a release from liability in the terms of use, either as a blanket clause or specifically in cases of misuse or improper fit. eg. the waivers that ski resorts use.

It depends - if there's no way of renting one that actually does fit - then I think there would be a problem. I think that would fall below the level of reasonable care provided to the customers (i.e. if you rent skis and boots - they provide you with a size that fits).