Bike lanes? Cycling is for hippies and socialists!
No, it's not.
Image from copenhagencyclechic.com
The/a problem with cars is the space that they use per person.
A Pattern Language (a highly-recommended-for-anyone seminal planning/design text) has a quite brilliant explanation of this. Unfortunately, I do not have my copy with me while away for the summer.
Regardless, the above photo conveys the basic point with the exception of the following: as speed increases, square-footage occupied per person increases. With the car, that space increases a lot, because a) compared to a pedestrian or cyclist, cars travel at very high speeds and b) compared to a bus or train, its capacity is very limited (usually to just 1 person).
So, in other words, a person walking or cycling at 5-25km/h, or a person among many using transit at 40-50km/h, uses and requires exponentially less space than a person traveling 40km/h in a private automobile.
Taking that a step further, the 'faster' a road is the more space per car is needed; therefore, fewer cars can be accommodated in any given space on that road.
Hmm..... well, what if we built.... double decker highways*!!!?
*he's not kidding.
Of course, the same can be applied to cycling and walking, as well, but far less space is used:
I count 17 people in about 2 (stationery, like the people) car lengths.
What's my point?
Even with four (plus one) vehicular lanes, Shelbourne already has traffic problems. Shelbourne is a frustrating and horrible street to drive and walk on, and even worse to cycle on.
No one is happy. Drivers, walkers, busers, cyclers.
Victoria's population will grow, and so, presumably, Shelbourne's capacity will be stretched even more.
One solution is add a car lane, somehow, or make driving more convenient (as a recent Saanich News reader suggests). Yes, traffic will be eased for a few weeks, but, as a result, other modes will be less convenient and safe, and more people will see the ease of driving, hop in their cars, and we'll be right back where we started. (Then we'll build the second tier!)
What am I saying?
Shelbourne is flat, straight, and links together Mt. Doug Park; Gordon Head; Lakehill, the Galloping Goose, and the Lochside trail via the Blenkinsop Connector, UVic, Cedar Hill, Cadboro Bay, Hillside (and Mall), Camosun College, The Jubilee Hospital, Fernwood via Haultain, the edge of Oak Bay, and downtown. That's a lot of stuff.
maps.google.com
If you lived at Kenmore & Shelbourne (top of Shelbourne) and worked at Yates & Blanshard (middle of dowtown), your ride would be 8.7km.8.7 KILOMETRES! That's like 5.5 MILES!
Yes, it is. And, without stops, that would take you app. 25-35 minutes without overmuch exertion. How long does that take to drive, right now, in traffic? Besides, most people live (much) closer to their work places.
Not stopping? Yeah right...
Yeah, right. It's called the Green Wave (see video below).
You pedal at 20-25km/h, and you hit every green light. Implemented in busy areas with lots of stop lights.
This is in Copenhagen on a main commuter street that links the suburbs and the city centre.
Sound familiar?
At the moment, ~35,000 people bike down Norrebrogard daily, ~60,000 take transit, and just ~15,000 drive their cars (treehugger.com).
The Mayor hopes to ban cars entirely from the route, and Copenhagen is currently developing bike 'super highways' that extend 15km/h into the 'burbs.
Now, do I expect thousands of people to be biking from Langford to downtown any time soon? No.
Is that at a reason not to move towards it? No. Driving that way sucks, too, and, even with the 'economic downturn', I'm pretty sure our city could afford a cycle overpass... (topical joke anyone?).
http://wtflangford.blogspot.com/ (great blog/blog name?)
Where am I going with this?
Shelbourne needs bike lanes. Simple as that, and that's great start to making Shelbourne (and Victoria) better.
More specifically, we might want to consider physically-separated lanes (examples below). And, innovations like the green wave would be, evidently, awesome.
uppergreenside.org
welcome-to-my-copenhagen.com
Cars will never be as convenient, efficient, affordable, environmentally-friendly, equitable, culturally- and socially-friendly, health-inducing, etc. etc. as cycling can be and is.
Saanich: Start with bike lanes.
Oh, and equally importantly, BC:
Ditch the Bike Helmet Law.
Oh, and equally importantly, BC:
Ditch the Bike Helmet Law.
2 comments:
Why ditch the helmet law? I must say I am all for it. Or if you ditch the helmet law, they should be throwing out tickets for not biking properly (biking dangerously, is no different then driving dangerously - it can add costs to healthcare and; therefore, I think there has to be some type of enforcement. As much as I advocate biking and enjoy it, bikers create serious problems on the roads when they bike like idiots (Ie,riding down the wrong side, turning left from the right lane ect.) Many couriers and fixed gear riders are all over the roads (to compensate for no brakes and one gear) . Too many people do not know the how to properly bike or are to nervous to get in with traffic... I am as guilty as the next bicycle rider, but to people bike without helmets down shelbourne???? your asking for trouble - in my opinion.
Lon
Hey Lonny,
Thanks for the response.
Good points all around.
I will dedicate a post soon (possibly next) to the helmet law.
Cheers.
Post a Comment
Two things:
1) A lot of discussion about this site happens on facebook; so, I would recommend finding the site (link on the right sidebar) and me there.
2) I'm experimenting with non-sign-in commenting to encourage more discussion (the 2 minutes it takes to create a google/other account seems like too much trouble).
Being 'anonymous' is pretty lame, so at least make up a fake name to use.