Metro Vancouver Bike/Pedestrian Discussion

[deasine]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Vancouver's climate is too damp too make cycling a serious alternative for the vast majority of commuters

Honestly, that's one of the worst excuses for cycling. There are many European cities with a climate similar to Vancouver's who has triple the amount of bikers commuting throughout the city.

Burrard's St. Bridge failure in lane closure really has nothing to do with it. Metro Vancouver needs real biking infrastructure. A lane closure does nothing if infrastructure around the bridge doesn't support it... not that I supported a lane closure from the beginning.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The Burrard Bridge lane closure will be a disaster. I rarely use Burrard Bridge but did on a recent Saturday and traffic was nearly solid from Kits into downtown. It will be chaos with one less lane. The whole plan's a ridiculous greenwash. By pandering to, what 1-2% of trips, done by those who commute by bike, thousands of transit riders will be inconvenienced as their bus crawls across the bridge. The increased emissions from busses alone will offset any small gains in cyclists.

Vancouver's climate is too damp too make cycling a serious alternative for the vast majority of commuters

It's actually like that every single day, traffic is backed up all the way from the other end.

[SpongeG]

that bridge in burnaby is getting something done - they have had the exits and the roads closed off for a few days and it looks like the bridge should be up soon! - i saw it actually moving today on the truck - closer to its position

[David]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

that bridge in burnaby is getting something done - they have had the exits and the roads closed off for a few days and it looks like the bridge should be up soon! - i saw it actually moving today on the truck - closer to its position

I drove by around 2 this afternoon and I thought I saw it in place, but maybe at least it was just the first time it resembled anything remotely like a bridge

[SpongeG]

i was driving past at 1:45 pm ish

It didn't look up than it was on a truck still

[racc]

Originally Posted by deasine

Honestly, that's one of the worst excuses for cycling. There are many European cities with a climate similar to Vancouver's who has triple the amount of bikers commuting throughout the city.

Burrard's St. Bridge failure in lane closure really has nothing to do with it. Metro Vancouver needs real biking infrastructure. A lane closure does nothing if infrastructure around the bridge doesn't support it... not that I supported a lane closure from the beginning.

European cities have 3 to 10 times the number of cyclists because they are reallocating lanes of traffic and parking for cyclists and peds. European cities also typically have car-free streets and zones which further encourage cycling.

The city is looking at some improvements to access to Burrard Bridge.

The main reason that traffic is backed up on the Bridge is the intersections on both sides can't handle the traffic. It has little to do with the number of lanes on the bridge.

To correct a previous post, 5% of trips on the bridge are by bike and 4% are by foot. These numbers will likely increase significantly during the trial.

[racc]

Oh yeah, and the city is planning bus lanes and signal priority so as to not delay transit on Burrard Bridge during the trial.

[deasine]

Set to open to the public on June 13th, 2009, the CVG will be the backbone of the regional cycling network providing a 25-kilometre pathway for cycling, jogging, walking, wheelchairs, skateboarding and blading.

Source: TransLink

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by racc

Oh yeah, and the city is planning bus lanes and signal priority so as to not delay transit on Burrard Bridge during the trial.

What!? So they're going to remove a lane for bikes AND a lane or two just for busses? That will be chaos. Gregor & Co need to remember that a slightly larger turnout of West Side voters will turf them in 3 years if they blunder ahead with stuff like this.

[officedweller]

See the Burrard Bridge thread for that issue.

BTW - while searching the internet for bike lane guidelines - which I haven't found yet - came across this study:

http://www.bteam.com/bikeway_sign_study.pdf

Basically, it says that signs such as those used on Vancouver's seawall - "permissive" signs (rather than "prohibitive" signs) are the least effective - less than 50% compliance. Prohibitive signs show an 80% compliance rating.

I would love to see the first "KEEP LEFT/RIGHT" sign on shared portions of the seawall.

[officedweller]

From the Golden Ears Bridge website:

Pedestrian/Bike ramp:

April 17, 2009 -- Photo: Matthias Goetz

You can see the two spiral ramps at the south end of the bridge in this shot:

South Approach - March 2009 (Photo: Michael Berges)

[zivan56]

I say that sign "No biking on sidewalk" is 0% effective considering people are doing it right in front of the police department with a sign clearly visible.

[AdamW]

It seems like the opening date for the central valley greenway announced last week has already been put back!

"Set to open to the public on June 27th, 2009, the CVG will be the backbone of the regional cycling network providing a 25-kilometre pathway for cycling, jogging, walking, wheelchairs, skateboarding and blading." - Translink website.

I still can't see it being finished by then. The area through the Burnaby recycling centre and along still creek ave has not had anything done to it - through the recycling centre is unpaved, and from the recycling centre to Douglas road just runs along Still Creek Ave - an industrial street without any sidewalks. It is rideable, but would not be much fun as a pedestrian or in a wheelchair! There is also an unpaved area west of Willingdon where the trail cuts over a small footbridge over Still Creek - it almost looks like the new paved path is lined up for a new bridge here. I don't see how they can finish all of this and open the trail in a couple of months. Does anyone know what the plans are for these Burnaby sections - are they even going to pave the trail?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by zivan56

I say that sign "No biking on sidewalk" is 0% effective considering people are doing it right in front of the police department with a sign clearly visible.

It does only say 80% effective - i.e. 20% failure rate.

[fever]

Originally Posted by zivan56

I say that sign "No biking on sidewalk" is 0% effective considering people are doing it right in front of the police department with a sign clearly visible.

The sign would work if there was a reasonable alternative. When you come off the bridge there, there's even a no biking sign on 6th Avenue. I think the city's intention might be for people to bike up Cambie on the sidewalk to 7th.

[racc]

Originally Posted by whatnext

What!? So they're going to remove a lane for bikes AND a lane or two just for busses? That will be chaos. Gregor & Co need to remember that a slightly larger turnout of West Side voters will turf them in 3 years if they blunder ahead with stuff like this.

No, they are planning on bus lanes approaching the bridge along Cornwall from Cypress to the bridge and on Burrard from 1st (I think) to the Bridge. A lot of people walk and cycle on the west side. Kits and Point Grey have some of the highest levels of cycling commuting in North America, at around 10%.

[racc]

Originally Posted by AdamW

I still can't see it being finished by then. The area through the Burnaby recycling centre and along still creek ave has not had anything done to it - through the recycling centre is unpaved, and from the recycling centre to Douglas road just runs along Still Creek Ave - an industrial street without any sidewalks. It is rideable, but would not be much fun as a pedestrian or in a wheelchair! There is also an unpaved area west of Willingdon where the trail cuts over a small footbridge over Still Creek - it almost looks like the new paved path is lined up for a new bridge here. I don't see how they can finish all of this and open the trail in a couple of months. Does anyone know what the plans are for these Burnaby sections - are they even going to pave the trail?

I think all of these sections will be not finished until after the grand opening. They are planning on building a new bridge over Still Creek but it looks like the preload will be there for a while still. Regarding the section by the Costco and the Recycling Depot, I think they are waiting until Still Creek Ave is extended through there. The path would continue along the north side of the road.

The route will be useable from New West to Science World but many of the sections still need to be upgraded including some in New West and the Bridge across the tracks in the False Creek Flats so the hill and that horrible intersection at Clark and 6th can be avoided.

Unfortunately unlike highways and transit lines, they don't push bicycle routes through regardless of land and money issues.

[Locked In]

Pictures I took today of the new bike/ped bridge south of Sperling Station:

[zivan56]

Wow, finally...
IMO that bridge is sort of a waste of money. The traffic going down that street is not that significant, and the train doesn't really come that frequently.
It would have been of better use if it was used over a highway where you can't cross easily.

[David]

im not too familiar with the area; what does that bridge even connect? Is it simply a way to get from the central valley greenway to the other side of the tracks/road, or is it part of the greenway?