Monday, September 26, 2011

Bicycle Plague in Fredericton Continues

     Yes, I have noticed too, that I may be slacking a little in the blogging department. Can you blame me though? As we roll into autumn, bicycle news tends to slow down. After all, cycling is mainly a summer activity, or just whenever there isn't any snow from April until November.
     All year, bicycles on the sidewalk seem to be a rather large problem downtown. Actually, anywhere in the city. Why is it they speed down the sidewalk instead of being on the road? Are they afraid of the cars or do they just lack the skills to bike in traffic? I'm not pointing out that anyone who bikes on the sidewalk is a wuss by any means, but if you're that afraid to be on the road, it wouldn't hurt to learn a few rules and bicycle handling skills.
     Is there something the city could do to help this problem? I've said before, build bike lanes downtown, but that will definitely not solve the problem. It would take a few bikes off the sidewalk, but there will always be the few that like to bend the rules or just do not care.
    Maybe something as simple as a sign would be enough to deter a few people from riding their bikes on the sidewalk.
     An adult on a bicycle has the capability of cruising around 15-25km/h. If a car is pulling out of a driveway, they are not expecting a bicycle to be zooming down the sidewalk. If you hit the car, you are liable for your own injuries because you are breaking the law in the first place.
     I am not the police, so I cannot enforce this by-law. If you are going to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk, at least use common sense and ALWAYS ring your bell when coming up behind people. Remember, if the police actually did something, there is a $50 fine.


http://www.fredericton.ca/en/publicsafety/2011June29_BikingOnSidewalks.asp

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Not Enough Enforcement - Daily Gleaner

Re: Cycling on sidewalks

I wholeheartedly support the stance taken by city councillor Stephen Chase on the issue of cyclists on city sidewalks: that more needs to be done to reduce this dangerous practice.

Councillor Kelly suggests we need a study to get the full picture on whether sidewalks could be shared with cyclists and skateboarders. But we don't need a study to know that a mix of fast-moving bicycles and foot traffic is dangerous.

One wonders why the city has spent all that money on providing safe cycle lanes if the sidewalk was an adequate, safe alternative.

Last year I raised the issue of non-enforcement of the city bylaw with Police Chief MacKnight stemming from two collisions (I have been clipped by a handlebar and a foot peddle) and one near-collision of my car with a speeding cyclist as I slowly reversed out of a shared driveway.

I do not think I am an unusual 'cycle magnet,' so I suspect that others in the downtown and university hill areas may have had similar experiences.

I was very disappointed to see the measure of the so-called enforcement that Chief MacKnight mentioned would happen. Just six tickets and 15 warnings in six months. This has clearly had little effect of deterrence, as I observed three cyclists on the sidewalk during a 10-minute walk to the FREX on Saturday.

Many times police cruise by sidewalk cyclists without issuing warnings.

I echo Counc. Chase's desire for better enforcement of the bylaw, and increases in fine occurrences as a deterrent measure, in conjunction with a raised general and campus awareness campaign.

Patrolling should include campus arterial routes too.

James Whitehead

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Can Fredericton REALLY Do This?


World Carfree Day LogoFredericton, NB (September 6, 2011) – Fredericton Transit, Green Matters and Regent Mall are partnering to promote World Carfree Day in Fredericton on September 22. World Carfree Day is an annual celebration held to raise awareness about the alternatives to vehicular transportation.
"City Council has made a commitment to sustainability by encouraging alternative forms of transportation, said Mayor Brad Woodside. "Recognizing events like Carfree Day helps to raise awareness about the benefits of using non-vehicular transportation".
To recognize World Carfree Day, representatives from Fredericton Transit, Green Matters, and Green Shops will be set up at the Regent Mall all day on September 22, sharing information about alternative transportation and active commuting. New transit schedules and trail maps will also be available. Visit the booth on that day, and be eligible to win some great active commuting prizes from our partners at the Regent Mall.
"With the Princess Margaret Bridge remaining closed into October, continuing to choose alternative forms of transportation helps ease traffic congestion and reduces fuel consumption and emissions," said Councillor Eric Megarity, Chair of the Public Safety and Environment Committee. "I encourage residents to try different commuting options when getting back into their regular routines."
World Carfree Day is a project of the World Carfree Network, founded in 1997. The Network is the hub of the global carfree movement, whose mission is to promote alternatives to vehicular transportation, and aims to reduce car dependence, and improving overall quality of life. More information can be found on the Network’s website, www.worldcarfree.net.

Sidewalk Cycling - Daily Gleaner

Two city councillors are on opposite sides of the page when it comes to biking on public sidewalks.

Coun. Stephen Chase wants to protect the safety of pedestrians by stepping up police enforcement, but Coun. Stephen Kelly would like to explore ways to allow shared usage of city sidewalks.

Since January to the end of August, the Fredericton Police Force has stepped up its enforcement efforts.

Police Chief Barry MacKnight said under the city's bylaw, tickets can be issued for not wearing helmets while cycling. There were 201 municipal tickets issued for the first half of the year, 19 of which were prosecutions and the rest were written warnings issued by the city's park patrol.

There were 15 municipal bylaw notices issued for riding a bicycle on a sidewalk. Six involved fines.

Under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act, 33 people were handed tickets for riding on the sidewalk or not wearing helmets. Nine were prosecutions.

"Since there is still a pretty high incidence of people riding sidewalks on downtown sidewalks - and I want to emphasize that my concern is downtown where we have a lot of pedestrian traffic, frequently seniors and in some cases the sidewalks are restricted with the (restaurant) terraces in the summer - we should step up our effort with public education or issuing warnings," Chase said.

But Kelly isn't in favour of clamping down on cyclists who use the city sidewalks to get around the downtown.

In fact, he's asking the city's transportation committee chairman, Coun. Bruce Grandy, to let him raise the topic of a sidewalk sharing policy that would embrace not just bicyclists, but also skateboarders and people on inline skates.

"I am not sure how widespread this problem or issue may be, but I am interested in learning more about shared usage of City of Fredericton sidewalks with bikes, boards and blades, and would like to request a staff report that would provide the committee with some background on the subject. In particular, what other cities are doing in our area, any legal issues that we should know about and what staff would see as the pros and cons associated with the issue and possible options and resource requirements if applicable," Kelly said.

"I am not suggesting we would support moving forward on the issue, but I think it's important we have the information we need should we want to go in any particular direction. I realize I am asking our staff to take on another report and they are busy, so perhaps this request could be put in the queue and staff could report back when they have had time to consider the issue."

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Bike Lane Fail

     This "bike lane" on the bottom of Brookside sets the world record for the "World's Narrowest Bike Lane". I assume that they will be widening the shoulder of the road eventually, but for now it remains as a fail.


     I also wanted to let everyone know that the Valley Trail is now paved and marked. This is such a beautiful trail and it is well worth spending the afternoon to explore it.