Comprehensive Bicycle Plan :1 I I I I I I
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I I I I I I VANCOUVER COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE PLAN :1 I I I I I I I Eng1neer1ng Department July 1988 I I I I I I 'I I I I I I I I I ,I I I I I I I I I I City of Vancouver I I Inter-Office Correspondence I CITY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT File No. 4271-5 I July 29, 1988 MEMO TO: City Engineer I FROM: Assistant City Engineer - Transportation I SUBJECT: VANCOUVER COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE PLAN As directed by Council on July 30, 1985, the Transportation Division, in cooperation with the Bicycle Advisory Committee, has prepared the attached I Vancouver Comprehensive Bicycle Plan. The Vancouver Comprehensive Bicycle Plan analyses local cycling statistics and needs, and explores the four fundamental areas of cycling (Engineering, I Education, Enforcement and Encouragement) in order to effectively reach cost effective recommendations to integrate the cyclist into the existing trans portation network and to promote and encourage the responsible use of the I bicycle as a safe and convenient mode of transportation. I M. P. Brown, P.Eng.r I Assistant City Engineer, Transportation. I I\1P /DHR: mm Attachment I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I •" I I I I I I I I I TABLE OF CONTENTS I I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I, INTRODUCTION •.••••••••.•••.••.•••••..•.•••..•..••.•.•.••.•.••••.•....• 13 I GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE PLAN •.....•••••.•.••..•• 15 CYCLING AND CYCLISTS IN VANCOUVER .•••....•••..••••••...•.•.•.••.•••... 17 I Origin Destination Survey •...•..•••.••.••••....•...••.••.•....•. 17 I Vancouver Bi cyc 1e Survey •..••••.•.••.••...•••••.•..•......••.•.• 20 BICYCLE ACCIDENTS ...•...•••••••.••••••.••••••••...•.••.••..........•••. 25 I Ag e ••....•.•.•.•••..•••.•..•••..•••••..•...•••••.••.•......••••. 27 Weather ••.••...•••.••••••.•••••••...••••.•.•.•••••••••.•.•.••••• 28 Night Riding ••••••••••..••••••.••••••••.••••..•.•..•••••••.•.•.. 30 I Injuries ••.•.••.••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••.•••••••.••••.....• 30 I ENGINEERING ••..••••••••••••.••••.•••.••••••••••.••••••.•••.••••••••... 32 Cyclist Integration Vs. Segregation ••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.• 32 I Commuter Routes •••••.••••••••••.•.•••.•••••••••.•••.••••••.••••• 33 Existing Usage Levels ••••••••••••.••••••••••••.••••••••.•.• 34 I Tri p Generators •••••.•••••••.•••••••••••••••••••.•••••..••. 38 I Accident Location .•••••.•••••••••••.••••..••.•••••••••••.••••••• 40 Street Priority System ••••.•••.•••••.••••.••••.••••••••••••..•.• 40 I Review of Design/Construction Standards ••••••••••••••••••.•••••• 42 Lane Widths •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••.. 42 I Intersection Design •••.••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••..••• 44 Tr af f i c Si gna 1s •••.••••••.•••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••• 48 I Detector Loops •••.•••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••• 50 I I 0392e/254E/06/88 I TABLE OF CONTENTS cont'd. I PAGE I Miscellaneous Roadside Hazards ..•.•....•.••..................... 53 I Railway Crossings ...••.•..•.••..•.•••.......•••.••.••...... 53 Drainage Grates •••••••.••....•.•.••.•...••••.••.•••••.•.•.• 55 Asphalt Drainage Diverters •••••••••••••.••...••••.••.••••.• 56 I Tr af f i c Ba r r i er s ••.•.••••..•.•.•••••••.•.•••.•.••....•-...•. 56 I Controlled Access Highways and Streets ..•.••...••.•.•.•••..•...• 60 Bicycle Parking .••..•.•..•.••.•..••••••••.••••.•......••••••.•.• 60 I Spot Improvement Program •.••..••.•.•...•.•••.••.•...•••.••••..•• 67 Recreational Routes •.•...•••••••.....•.•.•..•.••.•.•.•....•••••• 69 I Existing Recreational Routes .••••••••.•..•••.••••....••..•. 70 Stanley Park Seawall •.•.•••.•••••...•.•...••.•.••..... 70 I B.C. Parkway •.•.•...•••...•...••••...•.•..•.•.•.••••.. 71 The Habitat Bicycle Route ••••..•••..••••••••••••••.••• 72 I Potential Recreational Routes ..•.••.••••..•..••..•.•.•..•.• 73 Rai lway Reserves •••••••••••.••••....••.•••......•..... 73 I Ocean &River Foreshores .••••..•..•.••.•......•••...•. 74 Hi ghway Ri ghts-of-Way •..••••......••••••......•••••... 74 I EDUCATION .••••.•..•..•.••...•••••.••.••.•.•.•...•.•..••••.•.••..•••••• 76 I Summary of Existing Programs 78 Vancouver Educati on Program ..•••.••••••.•••.••..••....•..••....• 90 I Young Chi ldren ••.••••.••..•••••••••••••.••..•••.•••..•.•••• 90 Schoo 1 Age Chi 1dren .••••.•..•.•.•..••..•.••.•••.•.....•••.. 91 I Ad u1t CYc 1i st s .••......•.••....•.••••..•...•.•...••..•...•. 93 Motori sts ••.••.•••...•.•.•.....•.......•.•••.....••.•...... 94 I Others .•..•..•...•........•..•••..••••..•.•••.•.••.••.•..•• 95 I Helmet Campaign ..•.•...••••••.••.•.•••••.•.•.••••••••••...•..••. 96 I 0392e/254E/06/88 I I I TABLE OF CONTENTS cont'd. I I ENFORCEMENT 98 Existing Traffic Laws and Regulations 99 Bicycle Couriers 103 I One Week Bicycle Enforcement Campaign 105 Bicycle Registration 106 I Bicycle Theft Prevention 107 Bicycle Identification Program 109 I B1 cyc 1e Insurance 110 Enforcement on Recreational Routes 111 I ENCOURAGEMENT 113 End-of-Tr1p Facl1ities 113 I Promotional and Informational Programs 115 I In t ermod a1 Trans 1t 11 7 Car, Park and Ride 118 I Bike, Park and Ride 118 Bike, Carry and Bike 120 I BIBLIOGRAPHY 124 I APPENDICES A- City of Vancouver Local Areas I B Bicycle Accidents Warranting Hospital Admission C Bicycle Deceleration Data D Calculated Intersection Clearance Times I E Recreational Trail Safety Code F Stanley Park Map I G British Columbia Parkway Map and Features Guide H British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act I I- San Diego Transit Bus Bicycle Racks J- Recommended Bicycle Parking Requirements I K Recommended Lane Painting Procedures I 0392e/254E/06/88 I LIST OF FIGURES I PAGE I Figure 1 Bicycle Trips by Trip Purpose, Vancouver 1985 . 18 I Figure 2 Age Structure of Cycling Population, Vancouver 1985 . 19 Figure 3 Vancouver Bicycle Survey Results, 1987 . 21 Figure 4 Annual Reported on Bicycle Accidents, Vancouver 1982-86. 25 I Figure 5 Bicycle Accidents by Street Location, Vancouver . 26 Figure 6 Bicycle Accidents by Accident Type, Vancouver . 26 I Figure 7 Bicycle Accidents Requiring Hospital Admission by Age Group, Vancouver 1985-86 . 29 I Figure 8 Reported Bicycle Accidents by Weather Condition, Vancouver, 1982-86 . 29 I Figure 9 Cyclist Injuries by Injury Type, Vancouver 1985-86 . 31 Figure 10 Vancouver Bicycle Trips, GVRD OlD Survey 1985 . 37 Figure 11 Accident Locations, Vancouver 1987 . 39 I Figure 12 Vancouver Street Priority System . 41 Figure 13 - Cycling Lane Positioning for Various Turning Movements. 45 I Figure 14 Left Turn Cyclist Movements . 47 Figure 15 Intersection Clearance Times . 49 I Figure 16 Undetected Bicycle Positioning . 52 Figure 17 Typical Loop Marking .. 52 Figure 18 - Rai lway Crossing Signs . 54 I Figure 19A - One Way Closure Traffic Barrier . 58 Figure 19B - Diagonal Traffic Barrier . 58 I Figure 19C - Total Closure Traffic Barrier . 58 Figure 20A - Typical Class 1 Bicycle Parking Facility . 63 I Figure 20B - Typical Class 2 Bicycle Parking Facility . 63 Figure 20C - Typical Class 3 Bicycle Parking Facility . 64 Figure 21 Proposed Vancouver Bicycle Education Program Structure . 77 I Figure 22 Melbourne, Australia Helmet Campaign Impact . 97 Figure 23 Fine Collection Structure for MVA & By-Law Violations .. 101 I Figure 24 - Reported Bicycle Thefts, Vancouver 1975-86 . 108 I I 0392e/254E/06/88 I I I LIST Of TABLES I I Table Cyclist Fatalities Involving Head Injuries, British Columbia and Vancouver, 1982-86 . 28 I, Table 2 Signal Controller-Type Decision Table . 50 Table 3 Summary of Traffic Laws and Regulations Governing Cyclists . 100 I Table 4 Trips To/From Vancouver from Surrounding Municipalities in a 24 Hour Period, 1985 . 117 I Table 5 Annual Number of Cyclists Using B.C. Ferries . 123 I I I I I I I I I I I I 0392e/254E/06/88 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I - 1 - I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I Introduct1on I In recent years, the bicycle has become recognized as an effic1ent and convenient mode of transportation. No longer is its use confined to children and those without a dr1vers license. The popularity of cycling in Vancouver I has increased to a point where over 47,000 bicycle trips are made on an I average weekday. The four fundamental approaches in provid1ng a safe and convenient cycling I environment in Vancouver include Engineer1ng, Educat10n, Enforcement and Encouragement. Otherw1se known as the 4 E's, these fundamental areas must each be pursued 1n order to accommodate the present resurgence of cyc11ng in I our City. I Cyc11ng and Cyc11sts 1n Vancouver From the GVRD origin/destinat10n survey and the Vancouver Bicycle Survey, we I note that: Cyc11ng in Vancouver 1s no longer confined to children or those who do not I have a dr1vers 11cense, nor is cycling pr1marily a recreational activity. Cyc11ng has become a w1dely used mode of transportation and plays an I increas1ngly important role in the urban transportat10n system. I Approx1mately 2.3% of all veh1cle tr1ps in the Vancouver Central Metropo11tan Area (CMA) are made by bicycle. Commuter trips during rush hours account for approx1mately 1.6% of all veh1cle trips 1n the Vancouver I CMA. I Approximately 85% of all cyc11ng tr1ps made on an average weekday are made for non-recreat10nal purposes such as commut1ng to/from work and school I and shopping. I I 0392e/254E/06/88 I - 2 - I Vancouver cyclists particularly dislike: I poor weather conditions heavy motor vehicle traffic I poor road conditions lack of end-of-trip facilities I Vancouver cyclists want: bicycle lanes/paths I cyclist/motorist education improved on street conditions I increased enforcement end-of-trip facilities I intermodal transit links/facilities Accidents I Each year in Vancouver, on average,