Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Vancouver announces date and details of lane reallocation trial.
June 23, 2009 - City of Vancouver communications and neighbourhood transportation staff gave a special media briefing Tuesday, explaining some of the details and logistics surrounding the upcoming $1.4 million cycling lane reallocation trial on the Burrard Bridge.
Here are seven things about the upcoming trial cyclists and pedestrians should know. Feel free to post questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’d like to know more, read the media briefing for more detail on the plans at this Vancouver Sun link, take a look at the city’s lane reallocation technical details web page, or keep it brief with this summary backgrounder. (All images below are from the City of Vancouver reports)
1. Monday, July 13 is the big day. Barriers, lane painting, and roadwork will be done the weekend previous. Expect the bridge to be ready for your morning commute unless bad weather the previous week delays roadwork. Banners reminding drivers of the change will go up on the bridge at the end of the month and a three week media blitz will commence.
2. A particularly nasty section of road where northbound cyclists currently leave the bridge and merge with eastbound traffic on the north side of the bridge should see some improvements -- with the addition of a bike lane and bike boxes on the stretch between Burrard and Hornby making it easier for cyclists to use the Hornby Street bike lanes as a route into the downtown core. A slip lane will allow bikers to cross over the eastbound car lane and continue north on Burrard, but extreme caution will be the order of the day as this problematic intersection may yet retain some of its inherent dangers.
3. All pedestrians will be using the west sidewalk. Apparently, city data suggests two-thirds of walkers already use this side, perhaps because of the ocean view. The best place to get over to the east side of Burrard before you get to the bridge itself is at First Ave.
4. Cyclists will have the benefit of barriers on both their protected lanes. With the lack of pedestrians to act as deterrents to excess speed, it will be instructive to see if any new safety issues related to cyclists passing each other arise.
5. Bike lanes on Pacific and Burrard on the northwest side of the bridge should give cyclists a clear route onto their new protected lane of southbound road space on the bridge deck.
6. There was no commitment to an end date, meaning that an unsuccessful trial can be abandoned early, despite assurances from the City that a report will be prepared after three months.
7. Buses heading south on the bridge will see their bus lane extended past Pacific Boulevard, so that buses will have some measure of priority when getting onto the bridge. If transit experiences severe and prolonged congestion problems, engineers may implement special transit phasing of traffic lights at the intersection to keep buses moving.
Here are seven things about the upcoming trial cyclists and pedestrians should know. Feel free to post questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’d like to know more, read the media briefing for more detail on the plans at this Vancouver Sun link, take a look at the city’s lane reallocation technical details web page, or keep it brief with this summary backgrounder. (All images below are from the City of Vancouver reports)
1. Monday, July 13 is the big day. Barriers, lane painting, and roadwork will be done the weekend previous. Expect the bridge to be ready for your morning commute unless bad weather the previous week delays roadwork. Banners reminding drivers of the change will go up on the bridge at the end of the month and a three week media blitz will commence.
2. A particularly nasty section of road where northbound cyclists currently leave the bridge and merge with eastbound traffic on the north side of the bridge should see some improvements -- with the addition of a bike lane and bike boxes on the stretch between Burrard and Hornby making it easier for cyclists to use the Hornby Street bike lanes as a route into the downtown core. A slip lane will allow bikers to cross over the eastbound car lane and continue north on Burrard, but extreme caution will be the order of the day as this problematic intersection may yet retain some of its inherent dangers.
3. All pedestrians will be using the west sidewalk. Apparently, city data suggests two-thirds of walkers already use this side, perhaps because of the ocean view. The best place to get over to the east side of Burrard before you get to the bridge itself is at First Ave.
4. Cyclists will have the benefit of barriers on both their protected lanes. With the lack of pedestrians to act as deterrents to excess speed, it will be instructive to see if any new safety issues related to cyclists passing each other arise.
5. Bike lanes on Pacific and Burrard on the northwest side of the bridge should give cyclists a clear route onto their new protected lane of southbound road space on the bridge deck.
6. There was no commitment to an end date, meaning that an unsuccessful trial can be abandoned early, despite assurances from the City that a report will be prepared after three months.
7. Buses heading south on the bridge will see their bus lane extended past Pacific Boulevard, so that buses will have some measure of priority when getting onto the bridge. If transit experiences severe and prolonged congestion problems, engineers may implement special transit phasing of traffic lights at the intersection to keep buses moving.
Labels: bikes, Burrard Bridge, cycling, lane reallocation, pedestrians, Vancouver
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Girl Gone Goa with Ulrike Rodrigues
June 24th, 6pm - the Bike Doctor
137 West Broadway, Vancouver (across from MEC)
Join the Bike Doctor for an Indian travel adventure. Based near the state capital of Panjim, Ulrike rode, wrote and photographed her time on two wheels for six months. Learn how to: stay cool cycling in tropical heat, drink Indian tap water, bellow "Let's Go!" in Hindi, use a Goan pig toilet, cycle-camp, Indian style.
Ulrike Bemvinda Rodrigues writes about culture, cycling, travel, and magic for magazines and websites. She's solo-cycled in India, Thailand, Laos, Cuba, Mexico, New Zealand and North America. She's considering writing a book.
Labels: bike doctor bike store, bikes, cycle touring, events June bike month, female travelers, goa, india, ulrike rodrigues, Vancouver
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Bike Industry Gleanings
European Cities Aren't Afraid of Commitment.
Velo-city 2009 cycling conference delivers 'Charter of Brussels'
Everything not A-OK as Wal-MEC approaches
Germans cling to civilization, reclaim use of legs
Labels: bikes, BTAC, cycling industry, germany, MEC, suburban auto use, velo-city 2009
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Do It Yourself Cycling Fashion
Momentum magazine hosted a sewing workshop for cyclists on Saturday, Nov. 8. On hand to teach participants how they can recycle old sweaters and dress slacks into stylish arm warmers and cycling knickers was Nan Eastep of B Spoke Tailor. Here's some highlights of the fun, and an interview with Nan about her company and its products.
Labels: B Spoke tailor, bikes, clothes, cycling, fashion, Momentum magazine
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Commuter Bike Shopper's Checklist
I've created a shopping checklist that one can use to estimate the cost to upgrade a current bike to an all-weather, year-round commuting machine, or compare costs to equip a new bike for the same purpose. Email me at info@chriskeam.com for a printer-friendly pdf version that you can take with you when bike shopping!
Brodie's Section.8 is a great example of
the new breed of bikes built for commuting.
The Bike
Your best choice if buying a brand-new commuter bike is a model with 700c size wheels. These are the same size wheels road racing and touring bikes use. They are faster and lighter than 26 inch mountain bike wheels and better suited to commuter riding. Converting a road bike by swapping the racing style ‘drop’ bars for riser, or cruiser style handlebars, is another fine option. If you are going to use a mountain bike, replace the off-road knobby tires with 1.5 inch street tires. You’ll gain speed, control, and day-to-day puncture-resistance.
Rear Light
By far the most important piece of safety equipment you should have installed on your bike. They are cheap and ubiquitous. Buy a couple. Attach at least one to your bike and keep the other to clip onto clothes or a dead-sexy safety vest.
Front Light
If you’re commuting in the city, all you really need is the small, cheap, white LED blinky. Add candlepower depending on your financial tolerance and urge to be seen. An easy-to-use quick release can come in handy.
Fenders
Get the black plastic and steel kind that attach to your frame at three or four points. Unlike the ones that stick out from your seat post, or the motocross style plastic fenders designed for use with front suspension, they actually keep your feet and butt relatively dry. Beware of potential hassles with disc brakes when buying a brand-new bike.
Rack
Look for a nice one? Make sure it will work with your bike and doesn’t limit your choice of panniers.
Panniers
Rubberized, roll-top super-waterproof panniers are awesome. Regular panniers with your stuff inside shopping bags will do as good a job unless you regularly ride in typhoons. More importantly, the easier they are to take on and off, the more likely you’ll use them.
Bell/horn
You can tinkle, or toot, or yell in a pinch. The bell is our first pick because it’s friendly. More than a few commuters have a bell and a horn. Room on the handlebars for both is sometimes an issue.
Lock
Buy the best one you can afford and use it. Always. If you don’t know how, get the bike store or a knowledgeable friend to show you how to lock the both the frame and front tire to a bike rack for maximum security.
Rain Wear
If you want to go fast, get the sleek, form-fitting stuff. Booties to go over your regular riding shoes make a very big difference, keeping toes both dryer and warmer. If you don’t plan on breaking speed records or a sweat, just use your most waterproof rain coat (or buy one) and rain-pants that you can put on over your regular work clothes. Rubber boots, which are incidentally the latest fashion, are also the best choice for footwear. Take your regular shoes with you, or leave a pair at work.
Your best choice if buying a brand-new commuter bike is a model with 700c size wheels. These are the same size wheels road racing and touring bikes use. They are faster and lighter than 26 inch mountain bike wheels and better suited to commuter riding. Converting a road bike by swapping the racing style ‘drop’ bars for riser, or cruiser style handlebars, is another fine option. If you are going to use a mountain bike, replace the off-road knobby tires with 1.5 inch street tires. You’ll gain speed, control, and day-to-day puncture-resistance.
Rear Light
By far the most important piece of safety equipment you should have installed on your bike. They are cheap and ubiquitous. Buy a couple. Attach at least one to your bike and keep the other to clip onto clothes or a dead-sexy safety vest.
Front Light
If you’re commuting in the city, all you really need is the small, cheap, white LED blinky. Add candlepower depending on your financial tolerance and urge to be seen. An easy-to-use quick release can come in handy.
Fenders
Get the black plastic and steel kind that attach to your frame at three or four points. Unlike the ones that stick out from your seat post, or the motocross style plastic fenders designed for use with front suspension, they actually keep your feet and butt relatively dry. Beware of potential hassles with disc brakes when buying a brand-new bike.
Rack
Look for a nice one? Make sure it will work with your bike and doesn’t limit your choice of panniers.
Panniers
Rubberized, roll-top super-waterproof panniers are awesome. Regular panniers with your stuff inside shopping bags will do as good a job unless you regularly ride in typhoons. More importantly, the easier they are to take on and off, the more likely you’ll use them.
Bell/horn
You can tinkle, or toot, or yell in a pinch. The bell is our first pick because it’s friendly. More than a few commuters have a bell and a horn. Room on the handlebars for both is sometimes an issue.
Lock
Buy the best one you can afford and use it. Always. If you don’t know how, get the bike store or a knowledgeable friend to show you how to lock the both the frame and front tire to a bike rack for maximum security.
Rain Wear
If you want to go fast, get the sleek, form-fitting stuff. Booties to go over your regular riding shoes make a very big difference, keeping toes both dryer and warmer. If you don’t plan on breaking speed records or a sweat, just use your most waterproof rain coat (or buy one) and rain-pants that you can put on over your regular work clothes. Rubber boots, which are incidentally the latest fashion, are also the best choice for footwear. Take your regular shoes with you, or leave a pair at work.
Labels: bikes, commuting, shopping
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Trains, bikes, and too much stuff
photo: Chris KeamOne of my favourite films is the Spencer Tracy classic Bad Day At Black Rock. It's not about someone taking the brown acid at Burning Man. It's set in a tiny town in the Arizona desert. In the opening scene, Tracy disembarks with just a suitcase, at a small train station in the middle of nowhere. Luckily for him, he isn't going to Battle Mountain, Nevada and bringing a bike, a laptop, a couple of cameras, camping gear, clothes for two weeks on the road, extra water bottles, bike tools, etc, etc. Because if he was, he'd have to disembark at Reno. As will I. 168 miles from where I'm going, rather than the 50-ish miles I'd be riding if the nearby town of Winnemucca had a train station.
In planning my trip I sought advice from the Washington Bike Alliance. Mark Canizaro helped me figure out which bus I could take from Everett to downtown Seattle (Thanks Mark!)... but it was his offhand remark about boxing my bike for the Coast Starlight train trip from Seattle to Sacramento that sent me scrambling to the Amtrak website. In reserving my tickets, the agent told me airily I could put my bike on the train as "checked baggage". I imagined the delightfully convenient experience of rolling my bike onto some special freight car, (a service they do offer on some trains) racking it, and marveling at the forward-thinking nature and 21st century-ishness of such an experience. Alas, it is not to be. I'll be pulling off pedals, loosening handlebars, turning down bar-ends, and generally monkey-wrenching to get my machine box-ready for the trip. Which is a drag, but so it goes. The real hassle is the lack of train station at Winnemucca, which means if you want to get off there, all you can take with you is two pieces of carry-on luggage. Cue the extra hundred miles of riding. With what seems like a hundred pounds of bike and gear. Nevada is pretty flat right? How hard can self-propelled, online reporting from obscure places on the high plains of the continental U.S. be anyway? Let's find out.
all rights reserved
Chris Keam 2008
Labels: amtrak, bikes, burning man, cycle touring, human powered speed challenge, nevada, washington bike alliance, winnemucca
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