In December I tried emailing the city of Vancouver's engineering services to inquire about three areas of the city's extensive bike routes that didn't quite make sense to me. I didn't hear a response right away, so I tried forwarding it every month or so, when I remembered.

Just yesterday I got a response back from Peter Stary (bicycle program coordinator), who had been forwarded the email from a colleague. He took the time to write detailed responses to each of my questions. I feel the answers might be of interest to you folk reading this blog, so here they are:

Question #1) Union and Main:

When approaching this intersection Westbound, there is a bike 'stop box' to wait at. I think this is great. However, I don't understand the traffic lighting. Often an Eastbound cyclist will press the button to change the traffic light. After the Northbound light goes yellow/red the Eastbound light turns green for the cyclists, but remains red for the Westbound cyclists. (I believe the crosswalk turns to a WALK signal at this point too.) Are the Westbound cyclists supposed to cross the intersection at this time, clearing the stop box, or are they to wait until the westbound light turns green, when the right lane of traffic will be gunning it towards Quebec?

I have tried going through this intersection (westbound) both ways, before the light, and during, and I cannot come to a conclusion as to which is safer. It also seems like many of the other cyclists on the road don't know what is supposed to happen at this intersection, as a good 50% of them go before the green light, while the other half waits.

Peter's Response:
When an Eastbound cyclist pushes the button to get a green the Walk for the north crosswalk also comes up, as there is no reason to delay the pedestrians and delaying the pedestrian Walk would cut into needed north/south green time. Westbound cyclists as well as motorists should wait until the westbound green ball is displayed, as per the BC Motor Vehicle Act; however, as a daily user of the Adanac Bikeway I'm aware that many cyclists proceed on the Walk. We plan to install an advance green bicycle signal in the near future which will come up at the same time as the pedestrian Walk and legitimize westbound cyclists starting off ahead of the vehicle green. This device has just recently been approved for use by the Transportation Association of Canada and was not available to us when the bike box was implemented.

Question #2) Broadway and Victoria

When taking the Grandview Highway North path in the Northwest direction, approaching the Broadway/Victoria intersection is a bit confusing. Most cyclists will ride across one crosswalk, then ride across the perpendicular crosswalk. Are we expected to dismount at this intersection?

I hop off the SE curb and make my way to the right most part of North facing Left turn lane (often having to go in between cars to get there), and wait in line with the cars turning left. I then make my way into the intersection, and make the left turn on the yellow, then signal right, crossing over to the outside lane, then continue along the path towards Commercial Dr. Many cyclists have looked at my like I am nuts, while I patiently wait in middle of the intersection signaling left (as they are riding across the cross walk). What is the correct procedure for this intersection?

Peter's Response:
In order to facilitate the westbound movement along the Greenway we plan to install a "crossbike" parallel to the east crosswalk that cyclists will be able to use to get to a bike box in the westbound curb lane of Broadway. When the signal changes from north/south to east/west cyclists in the bike box will be able to proceed into the bike lane just west of Victoria and turn onto northwestbound Grandview Highway (Central Valley Greenway). We are awaiting the repaving of this portion of Broadway, which has unfortunately been delayed a couple of times, to do this work. Given present work schedules we hope to install the "crossbike" and bike box this summer.

Question #3) Science world

I've noticed that recently that new lines were sprayed for the bike path. The path now runs along a portion of the ‘roundabout' in the front courtyard of Science World.
This seems to confuse most motorists, who now use the path as a parking/drop off spot. When a car is parked on the path, and a door opens, there is ‘barely' enough room for a bike to squeeze through while remaining on the path. This makes heading north through this area somewhat dicey, as a cyclist now has to go in between the open door of a parked car, and the right side of an oncoming car.

What was the initiative behind moving the bike lane here, instead of painting some designated lines on the cobblestones? Does the city plan on erecting some plastic barriers (like the ones along Expo Bvld) at this portion of the path, so that cars do not park directly on it?

Peter's Response:
Some motorists are continuing to illegally stop in the newly marked bike path in front of Science world, as they did before the bike path was marked. To discourage this we plan to install some curbing (actually just recently installed) and a bollard to prevent motorists from being able to easily enter this area. We didn't mark the bike path through the pedestrian plaza in front of Science World because of the large numbers of pedestrians that congregate here during special events and school tours.

So there you have it. Proof that this city does indeed have a plan to become more and more bike friendly in the future.

If you have any tough vehicular cycling questions for Peter, send him an email:

peter.stary _at_ vancouver.ca