Vancouver, Doing it Right

Council Divided on Shared Use - Daily Gleaner Fredericton

City councillor Stephen Kelly will get his wish granted for a city hall staff review of shared use for city sidewalks, but support for the in-house study came reluctantly from council colleagues.

Kelly and Coun. Stephen Chase are at odds when it comes to who should get to use public sidewalks.

Chase wants bicycles on city streets, on trails or in designated bicycle lanes, not on the sidewalk. He has argued for more enforcement to drive cyclists to downtown streets.

But Kelly said for nearly half a century, people have ridden bicycles on city sidewalks with relatively few conflicts with pedestrians.

Chase doesn't agree.

Kelly wants to go a step further and consider allowing skateboarders and people who use inline skates to share the sidewalk with pedestrians.

"People of all ages have used sidewalks for various reasons for convenience and safety," Kelly said.

"As a councillor over the past 10 years, I haven't had very many people tell me they have issues with people using the sidewalks - with certain restrictions. "

With the city moving in the direction of going green and being much more active, and with 240 kilometres of sidewalks in the city and $32 million invested in them, Kelly said the sidewalks should be used and can be shared the same way city walking trails are shared by walkers and bicyclists.

Kelly would like to see the idea researched and reported back to the committee by spring.

"I have some concerns with that," Chase responded. "First of all, we've spent a lot of money installing bicycle routes along the sides of streets and promoting bicycle routes, and I think there's further plans to create more bicycle routes.

"It's good to see people on bicycles and to see them using them in a safe way, using their helmets ... but the concern that I have is that bicycles are regulated under the Motor Vehicle Act and they are, in fact, a vehicle."

Chase said sidewalks are intended for pedestrians and are used by people in wheelchairs.

The councillor said he's not adverse to looking into Kelly's ideas, but is satisfied with existing law and policy which generally works well.

Coun. Scott McConaghy said children who are learning to ride bicycles should be on sidewalks, and generally there's little disagreement in residential areas.

McConaghy said he wouldn't want to drive bicyclists back onto city sidewalks.

"I think it's something we can take a look at," said Coun. Tony Whalen.

He said he's OK with young kids on bicycles on city sidewalks, but not older riders.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/1464361

Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Bicycles

Fredericton's Problem Intersections

     Some of the major problems concerning cyclists and pedestrians in Fredericton, is the lack of common sense, failure to yield or even courtesy. Granted, issues are at fault of some cyclists and pedestrians. Who walks at night dressed entirely in black or cycles without lights? Whatever happened to looking both ways before you cross the road? In the map below, I have noted some problem intersections, mostly from personal experience, but also stories from others where they have experienced conflicts. Feel free to explore the map and click the bicycle icons, where I explain my reasoning.

     You know your society is becoming car-centric when it starts installing signs such as the "Pedestrian Accident Area" posted to the left. Why build a society around cars, when you can build one around pedestrians, bicycles and even public transportation?! Incidents between cars, bicycles and pedestrians can be dramatically reduced by implementing traffic calming measures such as pedestrian islands, flashing lights. Even setting speed limits to 30km/h in residential neighbourhoods can be life savers! No, not the delicious candy, that thing that keeps you from knocking at the golden gates... or well, you know.

Flashing yellow lights installed in the ground attract the drivers
attention where it belongs.

Pedestrian island help pedestrians to concentrate on one
direction at a time while crossing.

Cycling at Night

     A few months ago, you may recall two different accidents where a vehicle hit a cyclist. The first one occurred on Waggoners Lane, and the other on Brookside Drive. From what I recall, both cyclists had lights and both drivers were not paying attention. I, myself, have had many close encounters at night, all of which include drivers speeding up behind me, honking, swearing at me, then speeding off. Ahh, the ideal date night.
     The majority of bicycle-car related accidents are due to the drivers not paying attention, the cyclist riding erratically, or visibility of the cyclist. I have encountered cyclists riding at night with no lights, reflective jacket or even reflectors. In order to legally ride a bicycle (yes, legally), you need reflectors. Why don't those kinds of cyclists get hit? Yes, Fredericton cyclists need to smarten up, but drivers also need to open their eyes a little, especially at dusk! Check out this cool video:

A Bicycle Highway for Fredericton?

     A bicycle highway is generally classified as the name suggests: a paved highway for bicycles designed to get you to your destination as quickly and safely as possible and segregated from cars. It may come as a shock, but Fredericton has a fairly well established network for a bicycle highway (and pedestrians). Those routes include:




1. Northside Trail (Trail Visitor Centre until St. Marys St.)
2. Nashwaak Trail (Trail Visitor Centre until Canada St.)
3. Gibson Trail (Trail Visitor Centre until Watters Dr.)
4. Bill Thorpe Bridge
5. South Riverfront Trail (Pedway until the Train bridge)
6. Lincoln Trail (Train bridge until Dunns Crossing)
7. Crosstown (University to Regent)
8. Valley Trail (Hanwell Rd. to Woodstock Rd.)

     These routes are very fast, direct and safe. The majority are built upon the abandoned network of rail beds, therefore are generally flat and do not have many intersections with streets. The one down side is the lack of river crossings and direct access from uptown to downtown.
     There has been a feasibility study on the construction of a multi-use bridge (similar to the train bridge) crossing the Carleton Street bridge piers. If this plan is ever carried out, it will not be cheap, but it will benefit everyone that travels to and from the North Side.

     It is very difficult to get from downtown to uptown and vice versa. The York Street bike lane starts at George Street and ends on Priestman Street. This is a very good connection, but bicycles are forced to share the road from Priestman Street along Regent Street until Arnold Drive. This section of road was not built with bicycles in mind, therefore bicycles have to travel through the most dangerous intersection in Fredericton and share narrow, busy lanes. Hence, why no one ever sees a bicycle uptown.
     Finally, Fredericton Tourism should get bragging rights for the best trails in all in Atlantic Canada!
     In conclusion; better connections to downtown are desperately needed, uptown infrastructure needs a desperate update and promotion for use of trails should continue to increase.
     Who knew we Frederictonians had our own little slice of bicycle heaven?

More Bike Lane(s?) Planned for City

"City council has directed its legal division to draft a parking ban along the east side of Canterbury Drive between Liverpool and Rochester streets. The parking ban will allow for the installation of bike lanes along Canterbury Drive.

Canterbury Drive is considered a major collector street and will be able to accommodate the bike lane.

Council has approved the preparation of the bylaw. No-parking signs will cost $200 and are within the 2011 sign budget."

Wait a minute... isn't Canterbury Drive already a bike lane? If any place in the city, bike lanes are desperately needed on Windsor Street, north end of Brookside Drive, Main Street, Waggoners/Dundonald/Beaverbrook and King Street. Are there any streets that you suggest that need a bike lane?

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1453875

Car Centric to Bicycle Centric

      I found an interesting paragraph in one of my textbooks from school, concerning the difference(s) that bicycles make in the city setting.

"An excellent study by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler at Rutgers University analyzed the reasons for these wide disparities among countries. They note that "extensive cycling rights-of-way in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists." These countries, they point out, "make driving expensive as well as inconvenient in central cities through a host of taxes and restrictions on car ownership, use and parking... It is co-ordinated implementation of this multi-faceted, mututally reinforcing set of policies that best explains the success of these three countries in promoting cycling." And it is the lack of these policies they note, that explains "the marginal status of cycling in the UK and USA."

     An excellent point is made in regards to giving bicycles right-of-way, instead of giving it to cars. Here in Fredericton, almost always, right-of-way is given to cars. Could we change this ideology while this city is still young? It is a possibility that in the near future, bicycles will begin to overpower cars in terms of quantity. Eventually, Fredericton will have to adapt to this massive change and I'm afraid not many are going to like it.
     The excerpt mentions "ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists." I have to admit, Fredericton has conquered the first two. What is mostly needed in this city is the "training of both cyclists and motorists." I cannot count how many times per week I am cut off or completely ignored by cars, or how many times I see bicycles on the sidewalk or riding dangerously on the street. A massive campaign is needed to fix this dilemma.
     In cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin, they make driving "expensive and inconvenient." This being said, encourages the use of cycling or just plain walking. If we lose three parking spaces in downtown Fredericton, there is always a massive uproar. Is it necessarily a bad thing? God forbid you have to take the bus or walk.
     Finally, the last sentence mentions that cycling is not mainstream in North American society. In cities, cycling is not feasible due to urban sprawl and car centric streets.

"If you plan only for cars, then drivers will feel like the King of the Road. This reinfoces the attitude that the bicycle is backward and used only by the poor. But if you plan for bicycles, it changes the public attitude."

Fredericton, Partager la Route

     "Partager la Route". This video can be summed up in three words. Essentially, this is a flash mob aimed at motorists to let them know about the presence of bicycles on the road. Any cyclist can claim a near miss by a careless driver, but nothing compares to the ultimate fate. Please, be kind to us, because we are people too and have every right to the road as much as you do.

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

Can Fredericton REALLY Do This?

Fredericton, 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.

http://www.fredericton.ca/en/environment/NR2011Sep6CarFreeDay.asp

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."

The Problem With Fredericton Traffic Lights

      Next month, Fredericton is installing a bicycle-sensing traffic light at the York/Montgomery intersection, which is just one intersection. What about the other several hundred intersections? A few of the older intersections still use underground, metal detecting* activated lights which are completely hopeless to a cyclist since they require a minimum of half a tonne of metal to activate the lights. For instance the Cliffe/Union Street intersection still uses the underground sensors. You can see in the pavement a faint rectangle where the wires are located. The metal of the vehicle triggers the lights to change.

Note the black lines where the wires are located.

     Today's modern traffic lights use a motion sensor activated light. As the name suggest, when a car passes in its vision, it tells the light that there is a car waiting to cross. These lights are more efficient and accurate, but their sensitivity isn't strong enough to pick up cyclists or even motorbikes. Many new signalized and upgraded intersections in Fredericton have this type of light.

The black sensor on top of the light is aimed
 at the centre of the facing lane.

     It would easier for cyclists if bicycle actuated lights were implemented at the major intersections, but I think a simple button would be easier. For instance, this style of light is common on many Vancouver streets. For now, city cyclists will just have to hang behind a car or dismount and use the pedestrian lights.

Bicycle Laws

     Recently, I have been having issues with motorists passing me too close, not giving way, cutting me off or just being blatantly stupid. Included, is information for 'we the cyclists' of the road. I cannot stress more the importance of NOT cycling on the sidewalk. I saw a little girl almost get mowed down, and I do not want to think what could have happened. Here is a post from the provincial laws according to the June 2005 New Brunswick Driver's Handbook. 

     I must add the importance of vehicle drivers not to tailgate a cyclist. If a cyclists falls, they fall like a brick and stop dead in their tracks. A car would not be able to stop in time and would run over the cyclists. Please use common sense- it's not worth the risk of someone's life.

6.4 Drivers and Bicycles 

Riders of bicycles must obey the traffic rules and regulations that apply to all road users. Drivers must respect the bicyclist's right to share the road. 

Vehicle Drivers 

Bicyclists are at greater risk of death or injury- use extreme caution.
- Check your blind spot when turning left and especially when turning right.
- Bicyclists can dart in and out of traffic quickly, expect the unexpected.
- Give the bicyclist room, do not tailgate or crowd the bicyclist. 

Bicyclists 

You are at greater risk of death or injury in a collision.
- Let others know what you are going to do, use hand signals and be in the correct lane position.
- Check your blind spots.
- Avoid busy streets.
- Stay off sidewalks.
- Safe bicycling requires knowledge, skill and maturity.
- Keep your bicycle in good working order and properly equipped (i.e. horn, lights and reflectors and night). 

It is mandatory to wear an approved helmet when riding your bicycle.

Debris in Fredericton Bike Lanes

     I can handle the odd stick or puddle in the bike lanes, but it's a tad obstructive when there is lots of debris, pot holes, drain covers, rocks... or even fruit? I do have to admit that bike lanes are in far better condition then they were last year. Maybe it is due to the increased usage, keeping the clutter down. As always, there is always room for improvement. For instance, the street sweepers could go through the bike lanes once a month to help keep debris out of the bicycle lanes. York Street is the oldest bike lane in the city (2008), and it has been beaten up the last three years. It is likely the most heavily used bike lane in the entire city, so it is definitely important to keep it clear.

Rough section in front of the train station

A brave soul who dares to bike uphill for 2km

     I also have to ask, why do all of the bike lanes end before a major intersection? I understand the ideology is to force bicycle traffic to merge into to car traffic, but what happens during grid lock? Many bicycles take to the sidewalks or squeeze dangerously through cars. I think Fredericton should look into how Moncton deals with their bike lanes. I vote for a bicycle thru-fare! 

     This time it's me blocking the bike lane! I thought I would show off my 'new' bike in a typical bike lane on the North Side. 

     This is a rare occurrence, but there was apples all over this bike lane on Royal Road! Many have already been brushed to the side, but it can be dangerous to run over a round object with 1 1/4" tires. 

Arguments Against Bike Lanes Are Absurd - Daily Gleaner

Cyclists ride in the bike lane across the Brooklyn Bridge during the evening commute in New York City. Improvements in biking infrastructure led to a 35 per cent increase in bicycle commuting in the centre of the city between 2007 and 2008.

Consider this: We have wide roads everywhere to accommodate cars, most of which carry only one person. On either side of many of those roads, we have pedestrian sidewalks. In most large urban areas, we also have bus lanes and transit systems such as subways and rapid transit.

When cyclists ride on roads, drivers often get annoyed. If they ride on sidewalks, pedestrians rightly get angry.

Human-powered transportation will only get more popular as gas prices rise and as the negative consequences of our car-centric culture increase. We should be doing everything we can to discourage single-occupant automobile use while encouraging public transit, pedestrian and pedal-powered movement.

In many North American cities, including Vancouver where I live, commuters scream bloody murder if it takes them an extra two minutes to get to their destination by car. The reality is that drivers are slowed more by increases in car traffic than by bike lanes.

According to the Globe and Mail, a study by Stantec Consulting Ltd. found that traffic delays because of bike lanes in Vancouver were mostly imagined. Drivers who were surveyed thought it took them five minutes longer to travel along a street with a new bike lane. But the study showed that it actually took from five seconds less to just a minute and 37 seconds more.

There's also the argument that slowing car traffic down is a good thing. In some European cities, planners are finding that making life more difficult for drivers while providing incentives for people to take transit, walk or cycle creates numerous benefits, from reducing pollution and smog-related health problems to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and making cities safer and friendlier.

In Zurich, Switzerland, planners have added traffic lights, including some that transit operators can change in their favour, increased the length of red lights and decreased the greens, slowed speed limits, reduced parking, and banned cars from many streets.

"Our goal is to reconquer public space for pedestrians, not to make it easy for drivers," chief traffic planner Andy Fellmann told the New York Times. He also noted that a person in a car takes up 115 cubic meters of urban space in Zurich while a pedestrian takes three.

In Vancouver, the Stantec study found that businesses along new downtown bike routes initially experienced minor decreases in sales, but that numerous strategies were available to overcome the declines.

In the long run, most cities that have improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure have seen benefits for area businesses.

Building bike lanes also creates jobs and other economic spin-offs, according to a study from the Political Economy Research Institute in Amherst, Massachusetts, titled "Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts."

Researchers found that "bicycling infrastructure creates the most jobs for a given level of spending." For every $1 million spent, cycling projects created an average of 11.4 jobs in the state where the project was located, pedestrian-only projects created about 10 jobs, and multi-use trails created about 9.6 jobs.

Infrastructure combining road construction with pedestrian and bicycle facilities created slightly fewer jobs for the same amount of spending, and road-only projects created the least, with a total of 7.8 jobs per $1 million.

One of the main reasons is that more of the money for road-building goes to materials and equipment, whereas with bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure more goes to wages and salaries.

It's important to note that European cities have matched disincentives to drive with improved public transit. After all, not everyone can get to their destination by walking or cycling.

But with fewer cars and reduced gridlock, those who must use automobiles - including service and emergency-response vehicles and taxis - have an easier time getting around.

Fortunately, the backlash against cycling infrastructure improvements appears to be subsiding. As oil becomes scarce and pollution and climate change increase, people are finally realizing that transporting a 90-kilogram person in two tonnes of metal just isn't sustainable, especially in urban areas.

Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/1431284

Redesigning Fredericton's Downtown Part II

     The following pictures are provided by NACTO, shared by one my faithful twitter followers. This is a continuation of my original post, Redesigning Fredericton's Downtown. You know, just to bring things into perspective. With some redesigning, planning and education of motorists and cyclists, this plan is quite feasible.

Fredericton Bixi Bikes?

     Fredericton’s downtown is not known for the immense amount of cyclists. Well, on the streets that is... Every Frederictonian knows the problem of sidewalk cyclists. Why is it such a problem? Could the by-law officers do a better job? It doesn’t help that we’re also lacking infrastructure downtown. The only routes remotely close are The Green and Church Street. With the lack of cyclists on streets, could this be increased by a bike share program like Bixi? In order for this system to work, Fredericton must first invest in infrastructure on downtown streets.
     Currently, there are four cities in Canada that have a Bixi Bike Program: Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa/Gatineau and London. Could Fredericton benefit from this program? I think yes! Even though our population is off by a couple million compared to Canada’s major urban centres, it has the potential to be successful. Could we convince citizens, tourists or businessmen/women to rent out a bike instead of renting an expensive SUV? A program like this would be great for people who: cannot afford to buy a bicycle, use one a few times a year or are commuters. Do you think it's feasible? Watch an instructional video below on how the system works.

   We all know about the problem of hills in our fair city. Yes, they look fantastic anaesthetically, but they are a nightmare to any cyclist- except downhill! That's why I think to anyone using a Bixi Bike should have free access to transit. So instead of cycling up York Street and getting all hot and sweaty for a meeting or work; rent a bike from downtown, hop on a bus and bike to your destination uptown! 

     It is such a great possibility, and it would only upset the motorists who have never sat their backsides on a bicycle their entire life. What do you think?

Traffic Lights

     If you're brave enough to cycle in traffic in Fredericton, you probably notice the situation with traffic lights. You're waiting at the stop line for a green light, and you find yourself waiting for the light to change- a light that never changes. About 85% of traffic lights in this city are equipped with motion sensor activated lights. For those of you that do not understand- when a car passes in the motion sensor's vision, it flicks a switch telling Mr. Red-Light that there is a car waiting to proceed through the intersection. If you're a cyclist, you know it's impossible for the traffic lights to "see" you. The other 15% of lights are on 30 second or more cycles, meaning green light for 30 seconds in one direction and vice versa.
     How the flip are cyclists suppose to get through an intersection?! I think the motion sensitivity needs to be tweaked on the cameras to pick up cyclists, or maybe a special traffic light at major intersections? (Credit to Mikael for the picture.) I'm a little tired of doing a rain dance at an intersection for the light to sense me... Instead of dancing like a fool, I hang behind a car to do all the work for me.
     I'm sure every cyclist has encountered a motorist that misjudges the speed of a bicycle. For instance, this could mean a car passing a cyclist then turning right, cutting off the bicycle. This has happened to me a few times, and I definitely let the driver know. It's so tempting to lash out... Another situation is a car turning left, cutting off a bicycle coming in the other direction. These manoeuvres are extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, there isn't much a cyclist can do about it, other than to expect the unexpected.

Cycling Confusion - Daily Gleaner

Our attention today is on the fuss about bicycle lanes, parking in those lanes and other related matters. A week ago, Fredericton city traffic engineer Darren Charters announced the city will install another 23 kilometres of bicycle lanes this summer, and by October there will be 29 kilometres of bicycle routes.

The system is following a master plan for trails and bikeways recommended by a city-hired consultant. Charters said the rule citywide is to share the road with cyclists.

And that is how it should be.

Charters said the city was getting "great support from council, the public, and even the press on this." There appear, however, to be flaws in the system.

Mayor Brad Woodside voiced concern about parking on opposite sides of streets where there is a reserved bike lane, and Charters said there is confusion about the different types of bicycle lanes the city is installing.

There are actually three types of lanes. Some streets will be identified with signs as bicycle routes without markings on the pavement; others will be marked bicycle lanes with a white striped border that marks the width of the lane but parking may be permitted in those lanes; third is the reserved bicycle lanes where signs indicate no parking is permitted in those lanes.

It's no wonder bicyclists and motorists are confused.

Why is it necessary to have three types of lanes? Why is parking allowed within the lanes? Why is parking allowed across the street from lanes?

One letter writer to The Daily Gleaner said, "it is getting way too complicated to go for a bike ride" and another writer has major concerns that the bike lanes are too narrow, that they will give "some cyclists a false sense of security," and that "storm sewer grates and debris after storms usually share the same space as the cycle lanes."

The same letter writer says most Fredericton streets already have sidewalks on both sides, so he suggests in such cases that one side be designated for pedestrians and the other for cyclists and pedestrians.

Where that is possible, it may offer a sound solution.

We certainly support the bikers who have every right to cycle on the streets, and motorists need to be aware that bikers have those rights.

Motorists have had the roads largely to themselves for a long time. It might be difficult to adjust, but it is a present-day reality that is not going to disappear.

However, when the city makes driving a bicycle so complicated, it becomes a hazard.

We all know what happened to a cyclist from New York last September who was killed on Highway 7 near Petersville by a trucker. That man pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. It is a tragic case which netted the trucker two months in jail.

We don't want anything like that to happen in Fredericton or anywhere else.

We need a clear definition of bicycle lanes without the confusion, without the hazards and without the risks they place on both cyclists and motorists.

It's time to share the road and respect each other's rights to be there.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/1428375