Redesigning Fredericton's Downtown

     Downtown Fredericton streets were originally designed in the mid 1700's with horses and buggies in mind. Cars and bicycles were not an issue until they became popular in the late 1800's. In the beginning, cars just went whatever way they felt like. Then came the dawn of traffic signs and policemen directing traffic. Finally, the modern traffic light. I feel like history has repeated itself and we are back to going whichever way we want… Every hundred years, it feels like the streets start to get narrower and narrower. This is due to bigger cars, more people and the ever increasing need for parking. Currently Queen, King and Brunswick Streets are at a maximum three lanes wide. Two lanes are for moving traffic, and one for parking or turning lanes.

     I understand there is not a lot of room for manoeuvrability in the downtown core in terms of road space, but I think a few inches could be spared? I have said before that all bike lanes in the city end 50 metres or more before an intersection. The idea is to force cyclists to move into traffic so motorists would not suddenly turn right and run them over. I have provided solutions through Plan A and Plan B.

Plan A Queen Street

     As you can see, the bicycle lane is painted blue for added visibility. This would only be required 100 metres before and after an intersection. A dotted white line through the bike lane provides an opening for right turning traffic. Cars must yield to cyclists already in the bike lane. This style of bike lane would run from Church Street to Northumberland Street. The separated lane would improve speed and safety for cyclists through the downtown, especially during the rush hours.

Plan B Queen Street

     If space is an issue, a designated Bus, Taxi, Charter, Emergency Vehicle and Bicycle lane would be provided in the right lane of Queen Street. The lane would be painted a maroon colour or paved with a mix of sandstone pavement. This lane would require to be widened slightly so these special service vehicles can move around cyclists. Special service vehicles wanting to turn left or right would use the regular lanes. Dotted white lines provide and opening for regular vehicles to turn right. This type of lane would run from Church Street and end on York Street. From York Street to Northumberland Street, the use of Plan A would be required. The designated lane (Plane B)would have hours from 5am to midnight. From midnight to 5am, regular vehicles would be permitted to drive in the lane. 

     You may have noticed, "Well, this is an excellent West-bound corridor, but what if I wanted to go East?" Brunswick Street is most likely the widest downtown street. Parking is banned for its entire length, except on Sundays, thus making it excellent for a bike lane. The plan for Brunswick Street is quite similar to Plan A for Queen Street, minus the parking stalls. Again, the lane is painted blue and dotted white lines provide an opening for cars to turn left, and cars entering mid-block from Kings Place Garage or Brunswick Garage. This style of lane would run from the Woodstock/Smythe/King/Brunswick intersection all the way to Church Street, travelling the furthest left lane.  The lane would preferably be on the left, due to the majority of the bicycle traffic turning left to the downtown core.

Brunswick Street

 

Plan A/B (This pic is borrowed from Active Transportation Fredericton)

Please note, these are all theoretical solutions, and none of them are or may never be official.

Cyclists Concerned Over Parking in Bike Lanes

Some Fredericton cyclists are raising safety concerns over the city's decision to allow vehicles to park in some of its new bike lanes.

Cyclists in the capital city will have nine more bike lanes to use by the end of the year.

Todd Young is one of many Fredericton cyclists who use the city's streets and trails every day.

Young said he believes the city is smart to add the new bike lanes.

But Young said he is worried that some of the bike lanes are open to vehicle parking.

"That creates the chance for cyclists to have to swerve around a car, and a car could be coming from behind or whatnot too," Young said.

"So it just creates an unnecessary danger for cyclists."

The city will have 45 kilometres of bike lanes by the end of 2011.

Cars will be able to park in about nine kilometres of the city's bike lanes, which are all located in residential neighbourhoods.

Darren Charters, the city's traffic engineer, said it's necessary to have parking available on one side of the street in those residential areas.

"To go in to a residential neighbourhood and remove all the on street parking would be very difficult for the residents," Charters said.

Charters said from a safety perspective, the city is comfortable with the decision because there is less traffic in those areas and vehicles tend to go slower.

"On the rare occasions where folks are parked on the street, cyclists can easily go out and around those parked vehicles," Charters said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/07/28/nb-fredericton-bike-lanes-606.html

Keep this momentum going everyone! 

Mayor Says Bike Lanes Designation Confusing - Daily Gleaner

Mayor Brad Woodside isn't happy with the city's system of designating bicycle lanes that allow for parking on one side of the street opposite a reserved bicycle lane.

In Woodside's neighbourhood on Douglas Avenue, there's a reserved bike lane on one side of Douglas Avenue running from Maple Street to Brookside Drive.

In the reserved lane, the city has measured off a portion of the street for bicyclists.

There's a white line running parallel to the curb to mark off the lane's width. Inside that line, painted on the pavement, is the image of a white bicycle.

There's also a white diamond that signifies that no parking is permitted.

However, on the opposite side of Douglas Avenue, there's a white-striped pavement marker running parallel to the curb with the white image of a bicycle on the pavement, but no diamond. That means cyclists can drive within the designated area, but they must share it with parked cars.

If someone is biking down Douglas Avenue toward Maple Street - and he or she encounters a parked vehicle - the bicyclist has to swerve into traffic.

Woodside said that's unsafe.

"On Douglas Avenue, there were 12 cars parked and that's a very difficult situation when we're trying to promote bike safety. When you're a kid and you're out on that street, you have to go out 12 times to get around it (those cars) that are legally parked. It might be legal, but it seems to be quite dangerous," he said.

City traffic engineer Darren Charters said it's not an ideal situation to have vehicles parking in the non-reserved bicycle lane, but it's a compromise based on the lower traffic volumes and speeds on residential streets.

Charters said the decision to use pavement markings on any street that encourages bicycle traffic is based on the classification of the street.

For instance, York Street, because it's a major collector street, has no parking on either side of the road. On that street, the city has marked with white markings a bicycle lane going up the hill and one coming down. Both are classed as reserved and cyclists aren't supposed to encounter parked cars anywhere the length of the roadway.

"Major collector (streets), arterial (roadways) of any sort, you will see no parking on either side of the road and dedicated reserved lanes on both sides of the road," Charters said. "That's exactly why we totally remove it (parking) on major collectors and arterials like Sunset Drive.

"There's higher traffic volumes, speeds tend to be a little higher and there may be trucks, so we absolutely don't want cyclists moving out around a parked car in a lane along those types of roads.

"The ideal situation wherever there are bike lanes is to have no parking. However, in residential neighbourhoods, it was recommended to us by our consultant that we will leave parking on one side of the road," Charters said.

If homeowners are having a party or extra guests, they may not have sufficient driveway room to accommodate visitors.

Examples of streets that have reserved bicycle lanes on one side, and parking is permitted on the opposite side in the unreserved bicycle lane include Crocket Street, Douglas Avenue and Rookwood Avenue.

The city has one other type of bicycle lane designation and that's a bicycle route.

On a bicycle route, you will not see any white pavement marking or bicycle symbols stencilled on the roadway.

Instead, your clue to that street being a bicycle route will be the signs. A sign showing a bicycle in green will make it clear the roadway is a bicycle route.

Another sign will show a bicycle and car side by side with the words "Share the Road.''

City council has approved additional bicycle lanes and will restrict parking for nine additional lanes in 2011.

Here's the list of streets and parking restrictions for the nine new bicycle lanes:

* There will be no parking on either side of Brookside Drive from Main Street to Route 105.

* There will be no parking on either side of Forest Hill Road from Canterbury Drive to Kimble Drive.

* There will be no parking on the south side of Irvine Street from Noble to Gibson streets.

* There will be no parking on the south side of Kimble Drive from Stoneybrook Crescent to Barrett Court.

* There will be no parking on either side of McEvoy Street from Noble Street to MacLaren Avenue.

* There will be no parking on the south side of MacLaren Avenue from Cliffe to Gibson streets.

* There will be no parking on the east side of Nobel Street from Gulliver Drive to Irvine Street.

* There will be no parking on the east side of Royal Road from Sunset Drive to Royal Road School.

* There will be no parking on the west side of Rookwood Avenue from Saunders Street to Woodstock Road.

SGE Acres Ltd. of Halifax, in association with Marshall Macklin Monaghan of Toronto, developed the city's bikeways system as part of a trails and bikeways master plan.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/1426947

Thank you Mr. Mayor, for your help :)

What Does a Diamond Mean Again?

     I guess I haven't made myself clear, or maybe I just do not have a big enough voice. Diamond = no parky parky. I am really hoping with the new Brookside Drive bike lane, that parking is not always going to be an issue. In fact, for all the new bike lanes in the city. I was cycling by the funeral home on the corner of Brookside and Douglas, and you guessed it- a funeral was going on. Now, I am not trying to upset the funeral attendees, but when there is a designated bike lane, you are not allowed to park in it. The bike lanes are official, and I have already covered that. So, shouldn't the by-laws be official too? I realize there are "no parking" signs set up yet, but they should be enforced. Would you park in a designated bus lane? Sadly, there is nothing I can do about it. I apologize in advance for the low resolution pictures, brought to you by my CrackBerry.

     If you haven't noticed, Brookside Drive is rather narrow in places, and it just got even narrower with the bike lanes AND with cars parked in it. For some reason, motorists feel the need to squeeze by you. Motorists, please exercise caution. It is not worth the risk of someone's life, just so you can get to your destination thirty seconds earlier. Can't we be friends on the road?  :)

Moncton Bike Lanes | Update

     I have received a few emails asking if I knew anything about the bicycle lanes in Moncton. I haven't been to Moncton in a while, so I cannot speak on personal accounts. I have done my best by gathering information from Moncton's Active Transportation website and talking to a few friends. Moncton has published a map, but keep in mind it hasn't been updated with Shediac and Salisbury Road bike lanes. There is still an ongoing debate about the new bike lanes on Shediac and Salisbury, but they're here to stay. It would be a cruel experiment if they were temporary! In the future, several city streets will be added to the bike lane map, but for now I am applauding Moncton for the expanse of their system and increasing the safety of cyclists.

View Moncton Bike Lanes in a larger map

Fredericton Bicycle Signage Confusion

     Apparently there is some confusion about the types of bicycle lanes in Fredericton. To be honest, I did not know the difference until a few weeks ago. With the increase of motorists and cyclists alike, disputes seem to be growing. It can range from, "You can't park there, it's a bike lane!" or even physical assault. Hopefully this article gives you some clarity on some of the rules of bike lanes. In a recent article from the Daily Gleaner, they state the types of bicycle lanes, but it does not help without visual representation. There are three types of bicycle lanes currently in use in Fredericton:

1. The green sign with a picture of a bicycle and “ROUTE” printed below the bicycle is the most confusing sign. It can be placed on roads with or without painted white lines. On the road, a solid white line and a bicycle are painted, but no diamond. This means that cars can park in this lane, unless otherwise posted by a no parking sign. Where the bicycle lane is painted on the road, it defeats the purpose of a bike lane if motorists are allowed to park in it...

2. This next sign is rather simple to understand. It features a black box with a white diamond in the top left corner. In the top right corner, there is a picture of a black bicycle. In the bottom left (or right) is an arrow pointing to where the lane is. To summarize, this sign means that this lane is a designated bicycle lane and cars are not permitted to drive or park in it.

3. The next sign is a yellow diamond (Square? Shreddie?) shape, warning motorists to look out and give enough room for cyclists. The sign is usually accompanied by a "SHARE THE ROAD | PARTAGER LA ROUTE" rectangular sign below. On roads that this sign is posted, the far right lane in each direction is generally wider so motorists can give cyclists a wide berth. 

Don't forget to check out my facebook page. Polls, questions and comments are all available there!

A Cyclists' Dream

     Today is a cloudy, cool day, but that didn't stop me from getting pictures of the now official bike lanes! I only had enough time to get pictures of the Northside routes, but I will try to get the Southside done sometime in the near future. I started off from a disclosed location, and headed over Brookside Drive to check out what was going on. It turns out, they finally erected signs, designating a bicycle lane. The bike lane on Brookside (that has a nice ring to it), starts after the Douglas Ave intersection. If you see cities like Moncton, their bike lanes go straight through an intersection, where as in Fredericton, they stop short 50 metres.

Sign advertising Douglas and Brookside bicycle lanes.

Brookside designated bicycle lane.

Sunset/Main/Royal intersection, sign advertising Sunset Drive bicycle lane to the left and Royal Road going straight.

On the other side of the intersection, advertising the Sunset Drive bicycle lane to the right.

Sunset Drive bicycle lane. It seems like the diamond and bicycle are giant stickers?

Sunset Drive bicycle lane with debris in the gutter.

Royal Road designated bicycle lane.

MacLaren Avenue bike lane. No signs yet?

Sign advertising the McEvoy/Noble Street bike lanes to the left on MacLaren Avenue.

McEvoy Street designated bike lane.

Noble Street designated bike lane, featuring nice, smooth pavement!

Noble Street designated bike lane, with a no parking sign.

Noble/Irvine Street intersection. A sign is advertising the Irvine Street bicycle lane to the left or right.

Irvine Street designated bicycle lane.

Irvine/Gibson Street intersection.

     If you have any pictures you would like to share, upload them to twitter with the hashtag #cyclingfreddy, or upload them to my facebook page.

Updated Official Bike Lane Map

There are more bike lanes than I thought! Please keep in mind that some of these streets may still be under construction, so take care! Also make sure to click the bicycle layer in google maps to view the updated system.


View Fredericton Bike Lanes in a larger map

City to Install More Bike Lanes - Daily Gleaner

The City of Fredericton will install another 23 kilometres of bicycle lanes in the capital city this year and 29 km of bike routes by October, says city traffic engineer Darren Charters.

That means by 2012, the focus will be to complete the remaining bits of street network available to cyclists in the city as recommended by a consultant who wrote a master plan for trails and bikeways.

"We are really developing our on-street network in the city. We get a lot of great support from council, the public and even the press on this," Charters said.

"I know some other cities in the province are getting tortured over what they're doing with bike lanes. We really appreciate the support we do get from everybody, especially the public. We get really good input from the public."

Still, he told the city's transportation committee Thursday there continues to be confusion in Fredericton about the different types of bicycle lanes the city is installing.

More public education is needed, he said.

The city will erect signs identifying streets as bicycle routes, but there won't be any pavement markings designating special lanes or prohibited parking areas.

Regent Street, which is a main artery from the south to north sides of the St. John River, is a signed-only bicycle route.

That means cyclists can use it but won't get any special treatment from a traffic standpoint.

Both drivers and cyclists have to share the road, and cyclists have to obey the rules of road, Charters said.

The city has two categories of bike lanes - designated and marked-only bicycle lanes.

A marked bicycle lane is one where a striped white border marks the width out from the curb area where a bicyclist may ride, but parking may still be permitted in those areas, so it's bicyclists beware as they use those.

The city has a third type of bicycle lane that it calls a reserved bicycle lane.

The signs for those lanes bear a diamond, which signifies no parking is permitted in those lanes.

"It's the 3-D: diamond, dedicated, don't park," Charters said of the rule of thumb on reserved bicycle lanes.

The rule citywide is to share the road with cyclists.

Transportation committee chairman Coun. Bruce Grandy said the public continues to be confused about how bicycle lanes work.

He suggested painting the no-parking signs on the ground in the bicycle lanes with the diamonds to avoid public confusion.

Traffic engineers in communities across the country follow International Transportation Association of Canada guidelines to have consistent signing countrywide, Charters said.

Coun. Steven Hicks said he's also had calls from people because the don't-park logo on the reserved bike lanes has arrows pointing outward each way, so some drivers are under the impression that there's no parking permitted at all on either side of the street.

When a bike lane is installed on a street, it may be that parking is removed from both sides or only from the side where the reserved bike lane is.

Check the signs, Charters said.

He said parking wouldn't be permitted in bicycle lanes in high-traffic areas or on truck routes.

The following is a list of where bicycle lanes will be installed this year and where parking is restricted:

* Brookside Drive. Parking is restricted on both sides of the street from Main Street to Route 105.

* Forest Hill Road. Parking is restricted on both sides of the street from Canterbury to Kimble drives.

* Irvine Street. Parking is restricted on the south side of the street from Nobel to Gibson streets.

* Kimble Drive. Parking is restricted on the south side of the street from Stoneybrook Crescent to Barrett Court.

* McEvoy Street. Parking is restricted on both sides of the street from Noble Street to MacLaren Avenue.

* MacLaren Avenue. Parking is restricted on the south side of the street from Cliffe to Gibson streets.

* Noble Street. Parking is restricted on the east side of the street from Gulliver Drive to Irvine Street.

* Royal Road. Parking is restricted on the east side of the street from Sunset Drive to the Royal Road School.

* Rookwood Avenue. Parking is restricted on the west side of the street from Saunders Street to Woodstock Road.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/1425731

Bicycle Infrastructure Ain't Cheap

     Good news everyone! I have found a map, outlined in the Active Transportation Trailway Master Plan and Brookside, Royal, MacLaren, Hanwell and Rookwood are all outlined for a planned bicycle route. If only I can get definite answers from a reputable source, but judging by what I found on the map, they are most likely going to be bike lanes.

     It's funny- these bike lanes have only been around for a month, but cyclists have already adapted to using them, yet they are not even official. It just goes to show, if you paint a few lines on the street that look like a bike lane, cyclists will use them.  I have also noticed the increase of bicycles on the trails and bike lanes this year. Either it is because of the nice weather, a green dream come true or even due to the Princess Margaret Bridge closure. I hope when the bridge re-opens on September 5th, that we don't fall into old habits, but keep up this new habit.

(Bike lane with bicycle marker)

     You may think it is relatively cheap to build and sustain a bicycle culture, but it is actually quite expensive! Cities like Copenhagen or Montréal must invest millions, just to keep current infrastructure up to par. Here are some facts about the bicycle revolution here in Fredericton:

• For every kilometre of bike lane, it costs roughly $20, 000 to paint both sides of the road. 
• To erect signs costs $150 per sign and there are eight signs needed per kilometre.
• To construct a brand new trail costs $150, 000 per kilometre with a paved surface.
• A steel pedestrian bridge over Route 8 from Skyline Acres to UNB would cost almost $1.3 million.
• Asphalt trails are needed for high traffic areas such as The Green, Lincoln, Valley and Northside Trails. The asphalt will last roughly 15 years with yearly maintenance. It costs $45, 000 to pave each kilometre.
• A bridge over the Carleton Street piers would cost almost $3.8 million plus pier refurbishments!
• Almost 2, 200 people cross the Bill Thorpe Bridge each day! Impressive, considering the size of the city.
• 70 kilometres of the city trail system lays on old railway bed, saving us millions in construction costs.

(Crushed gravel surface trail | Bridge over the Little Nashwaak)

Fredericton Faults

     There hasn't been a major earth quake in Fredericton in over twenty-five years, and I suppose the next one will take out the Princess Margaret Bridge. According to Google Maps, it doesn't exist anymore. I'm not here to talk about fault lines or what causes our earth to rumble. (Sorry, I had chili for lunch.) Currently, there are a few ridiculous by-laws for some of the bicycle lanes here in Fredericton. On Douglas Avenue for instance, you are allowed to park in the West-bound lane, where as it is forbidden on the South-bound lane. This law is in effect 24/7 and absolutely does not make the slightest bit of sense. I do admit I was wrong about some of the parking issues, but this by-law would make sense if it was a ban from 7am to 8pm, not 24/7. A bike lane is there to help separate a bicycle from vehicle traffic, not force the cyclist to merge into traffic every 500 metres.

     On York Street, parking is banned on both sides of the street except for the North-bound lane on Sundays. At least this by-law is more reasonable, but it will shock a cyclist not paying attention going 50km/h and finding themselves flying through the back window of a car. Either a car, or a drain will send you flying. You can see in the bottom centre of the image there is a storm drain. The sun is high in the sky, so it hard to tell just how much of a dip there is, but I measured it, and it's anywhere from 2-3 inches! That's a lot if you're on a road bike. I understand it's for drainage reasons, so I advise to go to the left it- but that's common sense.

     The past few days, we've been lucky to have sunny, gorgeous weather! I couldn't resist to go out and have a picnic on The Green and people watch. There was the usual casual strollers, people on their way to or from work, and a dad teaching his daughter how to ride a bike- which is always nice to see. I took this next picture early afternoon during the heat of the day, so there are not too many people around. Just a few people like me enjoying the shade.

     I finally got around to cycling around Devon to check out the MacLaren Avenue 'bike lane'. I am a bit baffled why there is a bike lane only 500 metres from the paved, segregated path. Maybe it's for the children going to school or to encourage density, especially since the new construction of Hillcrest Subdivision. (I think that's the name?) Whatever the reasoning, the addition of more bike lanes will encourage more and more people to chose alternatives.

     I hope everyone gets a chance to get out of the house tonight. Please feel free to send me pictures of your adventures or issues that you stumble upon.

Google Maps Updates Cycling Routes!

After months of reports, Google Maps has finally updated cycling routes in the city! The York Street and Montgomery Street bike lanes have been added to the map as well as Prospect and Crocket Street. For those of you who do not know, light green is a bike lane, dark green is a multi-use path and a dotted green is a share the road. I know it's silly to be this excited over a map update, but it is great for cyclists and tourists wondering how to get around Fredericton safely. Plus, it makes a city look great to have such an extensive cycling network. I know we could never compare to cities like Montréal, Copenhagen, San Francisco or even Vancouver- but it is nice to have our own little bicycle metropolis.

Also, the North Side Trail has been added to the map. When I first moved to Fredericton, I never knew it existed!

I have not heard any updates on the possible bike lanes on Brookside Drive, Royal Road, MacLaren Ave, Rockwood Ave or Hanwell Road, but I promise to keep you updated as soon as I hear anything.

To see the full map on google, click the bicycle layer in the drop down tab or click this link.

Bicycle Parking in Fredericton | Update

Today's blog is just a simple update of all the available bike parking facilities in Fredericton, even of the UNB/STU campuses! Feel free to let me know of any places I have missed or those of a local business. Below, I've provided an interactive map of all the places available to park and a link will be added to the sidebar for convenience.


View Fredericton Bike Racks in a larger map

The Sidewalk Bicycle Plague in Fredericton

     It seems to be a plague this year with the amount of bicycles on sidewalks. I have been hearing reports left, right and centre about it! Obviously this is an issue that needs to be addressed. You may have noticed that I haven’t blogged for almost two weeks. The first week, I was visiting family and friends. The second week? I was hit by a cyclist on a sidewalk. This resulted in multiple injuries of twisting my knee cap and dislocating my elbow and shoulder. You should see the other guy... As much as I love seeing so many cyclists out and about in Fredericton, I do not want to see them on the sidewalks! City Police are “cracking down” on sidewalk cyclists, handing out warnings and $50 tickets. I think they need to up their game and advertise a little more. Maybe one solution would be to add turn stiles on the sidewalk?

     The other day (before my injury) I was cycling on the Douglas Avenue bike lane and saw a man cycling on the sidewalk instead of the perfectly useable bike lane. The city spends thousands of dollars building bike lanes for us, the least we could do is use them and prove that we need them.

     An exception to bicycles on the sidewalk are children. Under the age of 12, they should be allowed to use the sidewalk for safety reasons. For one, they are still probably learning to use their bike properly and second, they are no match for keeping up with traffic and being seen on the road. There is absolutely no excuse for an adult cyclist to be using the sidewalk.

     It doesn’t help when motorists don’t respect cyclists. In the past few months, respect has grown by a massive percentage. 85% of motorists take care of cyclists on the road! The 15% that could give a s--t what happens to you are the ones with massive trucks with tires that raise the body two metres off the ground and accelerate so hard they leave a cloud of fumes that choke you to death. They’re probably just trying to make up for something they lack in the pants? I am grateful for the motorists that respect me and my fellow cyclists and pedestrians. Please consider that it is a several tonne vehicle against a few hundred pound cyclist.

     Also, there has not been any news (at least that I’ve heard) about the white lines popping up on the streets. I’m still guessing they’re going to be bike lanes, just not officially announced yet. If you have any information, feel free to comment!

     Don't forget to check out my new facebook page. On the go photos will be posted there!