05-03-2018, 07:18 AM
(05-02-2018, 10:54 PM)clasher Wrote: I had a great idea for a litte contra-flow bike lane today, Young Street from Ahrens to Weber, the reason being that it's a great spot to cross weber since there is a light there already and it connects to the Margaret street bike lanes pretty easily. Saves trying to ride on the Queen, Water or Victora if you're trying to get across downtown. Just a little jog to Gaukel and you're in the park and onto the IHT if you want. There's enough room on the road for it... but you'd have to take a few parking spots away from people so it's probably something that will never happen.
Amusingly, the Google overhead view shows exactly one car parked in the stretch, which gives a sample of how valuable that parking actually is — i.e., barely at all. To be fair the StreetView shows more stored cars.
Anyway, one-way streets that are minor enough not to have lane markings should allow contra-flow bicycle traffic even without any specific signage. The bylaw should simply be amended to say that one-way provisions don’t apply to bicycles wherever there are no lane markings. As signs are replaced, “Bicycles Excepted” can be added. And the traffic department then needs to make contraflow bicycle lanes standard when a road is upgraded to have lane markings. Also they should review every existing one-way road to see if contraflow lanes should be installed (hint: well-nigh everywhere).