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,