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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The controversial downtown separated bike lanes could be here to stay.
Vancouver city council need to decide whether to make the Hornby Street, Dunsmuir Street and Dunsmuir viaduct bike lanes permanent, as "part of the city's regular street infrastructure."
The bike lanes were brought in in 2010 on a trial basis. Last year, city staff says they noticed people were using the separated bike lanes more, with no real change in car or pedestrian volume, and a drop in car crashes.
Not everyone is happy about the bike lanes.
Leo Redavid has run Endz Studio on Dunsmuir between Richards Street and Seymour Street for eight years. He remembers when those bike lanes were put in in 2010. He doesn't like the idea of them being permanent. He's not against cyclists, but thinks they could share the road a bit more.
"I find that the traffic is just unbelievable down on Dunsmuir here. Sometimes I'm watching it ouside the window and I see ambulances and fire trucks just stuck is this road."
When asked if he thought it was because of the bike lanes, Redavid says, "Ya, totally."
"And they put this bike lane in when we have eight months of rain. In the summer I see more cyclists using it, but in the winter time it's empty," he believes.
Other mom and pop eateries that News1130 spoke with say they want the lanes ripped out, they can't park, and they've lost business.
City council will look at making them permanent next week.
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I must say as a downtown resident, I enjoy the bike lanes and make use of them.
But as a driver and a cyclist, like the guy said above, it rains 8 months a year in Vancouver. People drive into town. I actually use the bike lanes when it's raining lightly and I'm ALWAYS the only one in the lanes. I would HAPPILY just ride in the curb lane if that meant I had a better chance of parking when I needed to.
And the Dunsmuir one is disastrous, removing parking spots and making it now illegal to turn right when driving on ANY street between the viaduct and Burrard. There are a couple but otherwise it's annoying as hell.
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I don't mind the bike lanes being there but hate that I can't turn left anywhere off the viaduct. It makes getting to most of my destinations a huge process. I would be in support of the bike lanes if they removed the left turn restriction. Of course there would be a safety issue with that, but maybe they could put in traffic signals for cyclists at the intersections to give cars an opportunity to turn.
I don't mind the bike lanes being there but hate that I can't turn left anywhere off the viaduct. It makes getting to most of my destinations a huge process.
That's exactly why people hate the bike lanes. Dunsmuir is a clusterfuck. Especially during rush hour.
One question... Does Gregor even fucking ride bike to work?
Gregor rides a cloud propelled by rainbows.
I'm in strong support of cycling in general, but the bike lanes are not as efficient as they should or could be; a few simple adjustments to the current arrangement would improve many citizens opinion of them dramatically.
I've said it in another bike-lane related thread in the past: You can't force cycling infrastructure into one not originally designed for it. There is probably a solution where bike lanes CAN work, but the City opted to shoehorn it in. For the record, I'm not against bicyclists (unless they're of the douchebag variety), but I'm against the fact that they destroyed traffic flow where bike lanes were installed.
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As said by others they really just need to work the kinks out of the system and it wouldn't be a problem as with any new system especially a controversial one goal a) is to get it in through the door b) work out the kinks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duff Beer
just scrap the whole damn thing already. it's caused enough trouble for all of us. and yes, as mentioned above, it RAINS here. welcome to Vancouver.
i thought you were in favour of bike lanes and cyclists?
I live downtown, and for every cyclist I've seen use the bike lanes, and stop at the intersections for red lights; I've seen 200 that ride all over the street, disobey all traffic laws, and do everything/anything BUT use the bike lane.
I don't mind the bike lanes being there but hate that I can't turn left anywhere off the viaduct. It makes getting to most of my destinations a huge process. I would be in support of the bike lanes if they removed the left turn restriction. Of course there would be a safety issue with that, but maybe they could put in traffic signals for cyclists at the intersections to give cars an opportunity to turn.
I think you mean right turns..?
Coming off the viaduct onto Dunsmuir, you can turn left onto Citadel, Beatty, Cambie, Hamilton, Richards, Howe, and Burrard.
Rights turns are very few up to Burrard. The one I find the worst is Seymour and Dunsmuir. What they should've done is allow right turns onto Seymour only when the designated right turn signal is green; no right turns at all when red. That's what they did by the courthouse on Hornby and Nelson.
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Not a huge fans of bike lanes. It rains/snows 8 to 9 months in Vancouver. Why wasted millions of dollars into something that only get used 3 to 4 months in a year and only 10 to 15% of citizen ever use it.
What the gov should do is invest in smart car rental systems or even use it to improve trnasit and roads. I take skytrain to work near downtown and I cal tell you that it is a lot faster than driving during rush hours.
As far as i know, parking downtown is no excuse for a business losing money. Very soon you will have to PAY to drive downtown. So all the traffic will be focused on walking or public transportation. This city is trying to be more progressive in transforming the public into cyclists and public transportation users. Downtown is well connected to all of the main public transportation routes and it has been decentrilized as an industrial hub so truck traffic is not neccesary. Why do you need to drive downtown and park now? Park near you nearest skytrain and ride it downtown? Then get yo shit and ride back. Way cheaper then parking and gas. I'm all for the bike lanes because it's opting for other alternatives. Downtown core is trying to be greener and this is the best step to doing it. when people start to realize that it's so inconvenient to drive downtown then they will eventually stop trying to drive downtown! As for the richmond bike lanes. Well maybe if richmonds citizens realized how amazing bike lanes in that city worked. bike lanes in vaughcouver are plagued by bus traffic and hills. In richmond it's a straight flat shot everywhere you go. Unless you're picking up groceries or it's raining, why do you seriously need to waste the gas and clog the roads if you can bike to your destination?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nns
I think you mean right turns..?
Coming off the viaduct onto Dunsmuir, you can turn left onto Citadel, Beatty, Cambie, Hamilton, Richards, Howe, and Burrard.
Rights turns are very few up to Burrard. The one I find the worst is Seymour and Dunsmuir. What they should've done is allow right turns onto Seymour only when the designated right turn signal is green; no right turns at all when red. That's what they did by the courthouse on Hornby and Nelson.