11-04-2016, 03:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-04-2016, 04:03 PM by danbrotherston.)
(11-04-2016, 01:01 PM)nms Wrote: Perhaps the next round of Regional traffic education can tell residents how to use a bike box (how long has is taken the Region to get the "how to use a roundabout" message to stick?). Given that I have never encountered a cyclist in a bike box (nor have I had an opportunity to use one as a cyclist), I just treat as a space that I can put my car in while waiting at a light. If there is anything else to do, either as a cyclist or a driver, I don't know what that is.
Just to clarify for all who may not know, a bike box is a place for cyclists to move into to take a safer position in front of traffic at a light, whether for merging, or for turning left or any other reason. It is in fact a space not to put your car in while waiting for a light, and drivers should stop before the bike box. (The line at the beginning of the bike box is in fact the stop line for the intersection).
Cyclists can, upon reaching a red light at a bike box, move left in the box to the lane they wish to be in to leave the intersection. If they're making a left, this should be the left lane.
The problem with bike boxes in my mind, is that they are designed around vehicular cycling. They only work for cyclists who are comfortable taking a lane, and riding in front of a line of traffic. Most cyclists are not comfortable with this, and worse, many drivers seem to not accept it either. I don't see bike boxes as helpful on our roads, for most cyclists. I do find them helpful for me, but I'm an exception.
The bike box at Erb and Caroline is just a vestigial bike box, it exists from the era when planning for bike infrastructure didn't accommodate all cyclists. The trail planned for the side of bridgeport will be the real direction forward, sadly the intersection design does not reflect that right now, and won't for probably many decades.