05-13-2016, 01:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2016, 01:13 PM by highlander.)
As part of the widening of Fischer-Hallman between Ottawa and Bleams, multi-use trails are being added and a roundabout is being installed at Bleams and Fischer-Hallman. There will be no on-street bike lanes. I’m generally in favour of the MUT design in areas where pedestrian/cyclist volume is low. Based on the implementation on Block Line between Strasburg and Homer Watson, I think cyclists are expected to use the right side MUT, so it works somewhat like a separated bike lane.
The design where the MUT meets the roundabout is pretty poor for cyclists, though. In this case, there is no provision for cyclists to move from the MUT to the road to use the roundabout. Cyclists are intended to use the crosswalk. I asked city staff a couple of questions of city staff to understand how this is supposed to work:
Q: With respect to crosswalks - do crosswalks that connect MUTs have provision for cyclists (i.e. a crossride), or are cyclists expected to dismount?
A: The Region is exploring crossrides at intersections through monitoring of compliance and collision history. The safety and compliance experience of other municipalities around the province has been mixed. With the legislation removing the prohibition of riding alongside a crosswalk at a signalized intersection, the cyclists can ride beside a crosswalk if they choose not to dismount.
Q: Do cyclists riding beside a crosswalk at a roundabout have priority over vehicles exiting the roundabout (like pedestrians)?
A: Cyclists would not have right-of-way. Cyclists technically would only receive priority if they dismount and cross as a pedestrian. The law removing the prohibition about riding alongside a crosswalk only applied to signalized intersections and not at crossovers. When we install crossovers at roundabouts soon, the law is clear that motorists must yield to pedestrians at crossovers, not both pedestrians and cyclists. The City of Ottawa is trying to change this as they would like to put crossrides in at Level 2 Crossovers at roundabouts.
This seems like it will be confusing for drivers (edited to add: and pedestrians and cyclists). Also, if you have to stop and wait for a gap, you may as well dismount and walk through with right of way.
The design where the MUT meets the roundabout is pretty poor for cyclists, though. In this case, there is no provision for cyclists to move from the MUT to the road to use the roundabout. Cyclists are intended to use the crosswalk. I asked city staff a couple of questions of city staff to understand how this is supposed to work:
Q: With respect to crosswalks - do crosswalks that connect MUTs have provision for cyclists (i.e. a crossride), or are cyclists expected to dismount?
A: The Region is exploring crossrides at intersections through monitoring of compliance and collision history. The safety and compliance experience of other municipalities around the province has been mixed. With the legislation removing the prohibition of riding alongside a crosswalk at a signalized intersection, the cyclists can ride beside a crosswalk if they choose not to dismount.
Q: Do cyclists riding beside a crosswalk at a roundabout have priority over vehicles exiting the roundabout (like pedestrians)?
A: Cyclists would not have right-of-way. Cyclists technically would only receive priority if they dismount and cross as a pedestrian. The law removing the prohibition about riding alongside a crosswalk only applied to signalized intersections and not at crossovers. When we install crossovers at roundabouts soon, the law is clear that motorists must yield to pedestrians at crossovers, not both pedestrians and cyclists. The City of Ottawa is trying to change this as they would like to put crossrides in at Level 2 Crossovers at roundabouts.
This seems like it will be confusing for drivers (edited to add: and pedestrians and cyclists). Also, if you have to stop and wait for a gap, you may as well dismount and walk through with right of way.