Dollarton Bike Path = Cyclist Hell

Why I ride on Dollarton Highway …

Bike path splits cyclists and pedestrians. Good, right? Not so fast.

Pedestrians told to go right onto paved blacktop/asphalt, cyclists are directed left onto the sidewalk (whaaaat?). Sidewalk bears fluorescent warning of remains of protective barrier on sidewalk repeatedly destroyed by (I assume) by large trucks turning into North Shore Transfer Station. The District has since given up on replacing the protective barrier.

Next event - slalom course:

Road curves left, path curves right and away from the open grass and behind a hedge - because blind corners help keep you alert on those dark evenings …

Keep N Vancouver beautiful - hide those ugly cars from cyclists as they exit the parking and one-and-a-half tons of metal, glass and rubber drives right across the multiuse path.

At least the hedges between the bike path and the road have been trimmed so now you can see cars bearing down on you …

I wonder what the DNV's annual budget for random metal poles on multiuse paths is?

Its always nice to have some greenery - but not in the middle of the frickin path … this pothole is more than 622mm across (the diameter of a 700c wheel).

The path has developed quite the crack habit in some places.

(I will admit that they have done some fixing up of the path - not sure how well the big puddles were dealt with, but I don't ride path so I don't know). All I know is that:

- The road shoulder is smooth and free of barriers and obstructions (the trail is not)
- The road is pretty much straight with no blind corners while the path curves, meanders and twists and turns for no discernible reason, other than to provide some exercise for buffs who do walking tours the North Shore's Light Industry Parks.
- Drivers can see me as they approach me on the road
- I can see drivers from the road when I approach intersections

that is a good photo essay duncan .

again makes me wonder if the people who design and authorize bike routes actually go out and see how the route rides from both the cyclists' and motorists' point of view .

sorry to reference my germany thread , but from what i saw there , the safety of the cyclist was the first consideration , not figured out later .

of course , the drivers there operate at a much higher level than here , with awareness of all others on the road being paramount . they drive with much more anticipation of what could happen in any given situation , so there are much fewer " surprise ! " incidents .

The only part of the Dollarton bike path I use is westbound from just past Amherst to the cross walk for the Hwy 1 on ramp, where I get back on Main St, and that's only in the morning when I don't want to mix it up with vehicles on the bridge. In normal mid-day traffic I just stay in the flow of traffic.

Good post. I think I've ridden a section of that path once (by accident) since it was built.

It's a joke for anyone moving at speed. Nobody uses it and everyone is on Dollarton anyway.

The worst thing about bike paths like these is that it reinforces the mistaken notion that bikes do not belong on roads.

again makes me wonder if the people who design and authorize bike routes actually go out and see how the route rides from both the cyclists' and motorists' point of view .

They seem to design "paths" purely with "recreational" cyclists in mind - typically someone with a couple of young kids and a Cdn Tire bike in the garage that gets dusted off 2 or 3 times a year to go for a wobbly ride with their 7-year old. I'm not saying that isn't a great pastime for people, it is a really nice way to spend a sunny afternoon.

BUT really - WTF DNV planning? The path begins at the crazy clusterfuc that is the Ironworkers bridge and ends abruptly between the last industrial park and Maplewood Flats conservation area. Who in their right mind is going to go on a recreational bike ride dodging traffic coming and going from an industrial park as well as commercial traffic to and from a cement works, a chemical plant and a waste transfer station?

Planners need to appreciate that commuting is a serious business, even for cyclists. Like any commuter, I usually want to get from A to B as direct and fast as is safely possible. The DNV (and most suburban municipalities) fail to appreciate this. They think everyone on a bicycle is on some kind of lollygag-joyride - as opposed to more and more people for who opt for it as a viable form of transportation to and from their place of work.

Sorry I stole your title … it seemed like a good contrast between the culture of motorists (and cyclists) in Germany and here.

Geez there is so much stupid to go around when talking about road design traffic planning etc. in the Lower mainland. Lights in North Van seemed to be sequenced to stop cars 75% of time instead of allowing flow. Outside my downtown office was this stupid hedge that blocked drivers view of pedestrians and traffic so you were compelled to block the sidewalk just to see if it was safe to do so. And I have seen those view blockers often. In Winnipeg when I was a kid the City routinely lopped down hedges and cut back trees to provide site lines.

I think you guys are so right too. Bike lanes designed for the LCD by people that think bicycles are toys.

That was great post, funny but I can very clearly see what the problems are. You must be so frustrated to have gone through all that effort.
It always strikes me as funny a place where people deliberately go for outdoor recreation hasn't made their roads safer and more accessible.

Geez there is so much stupid to go around when talking about road design traffic planning etc. in the Lower mainland. Lights in North Van seemed to be sequenced to stop cars 75% of time instead of allowing flow. Outside my downtown office was this stupid hedge that blocked drivers view of pedestrians and traffic so you were compelled to block the sidewalk just to see if it was safe to do so. And I have seen those view blockers often. In Winnipeg when I was a kid the City routinely lopped down hedges and cut back trees to provide site lines.

I think you guys are so right too. Bike lanes designed for the LCD by people that think bicycles are toys.

Yep.

so, get your feedback to the DNV. you're preaching to the converted. They often have 'information and feedback' sessions about their projects, and I'm sure would welcome constructive criticism.

http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?a=5436

do it soon!

Project update for the week of October 28, 2013: Contractors will soon begin clearing trees and brush from Mount Seymour Parkway (Mount Seymour Parkway Bridge to Riverside Drive) in advance of the installation of bike lanes. Work will occur during non-peak hours. Please follow all signs and flag person directions. For up-to-date information on this project, please visit our website at www.dnv.org/mspbridge, follow us on Twitter @NVanDistrict or like us on Facebook at
facebook.com/nvandistrict.

good post Duncan, but in all honesty for a commuter like yourself who isn't meandering along isn't it better to use the roadway anway? when i commute or go for a ride i tend to avoid those types of paths wherever they may be as i find lollygagging cyclists and pedestrians to be more of a disruption than having to deal with traffic.

it's almost like there needs to be a dedicated commuter lane that requires a minimum speed to use.

it's almost like there needs to be a dedicated commuter lane that requires a minimum speed to use.

… or be wide enough for riders to safely pass. I don't ride that path but it seems like such a waste of resources … a bike lane and a regular sidewalk would have made much more sense.

I don't know if it makes sense to insist cyclists ride at a certain speed on a path/lane. A lot of people can't ride/sustain certain speeds and it would discourage a lot of beginners from even trying. There are posted maximum speed limits on a lot of paths, typically 15 km/h. The X-Canada gravel trail behind Capitol Hill in Burnaby has a posted bicycle speed limit of 10 km/h! (Fell Street/Hastings).

Personally, I don't get pissed about other cyclists who ride slow when I'm on my bike. That's car attitude. Wave and say 'hi' when you pass people. Driving a car at speed and riding a bike at speed are two different things.

… or be wide enough for riders to safely pass. I don't ride that path but it seems like such a waste of resources … a bike lane and a regular sidewalk would have made much more sense.

I don't know if it makes sense to insist cyclists ride at a certain speed on a path/lane. A lot of people can't ride/sustain certain speeds and it would discourage a lot of beginners from even trying. There are posted maximum speed limits on a lot of paths, typically 15 km/h. The X-Canada gravel trail behind Capitol Hill in Burnaby has a posted bicycle speed limit of 10 km/h! (Fell Street/Hastings).

Personally, I don't get pissed about other cyclists who ride slow when I'm on my bike. That's car attitude. Wave and say 'hi' when you pass people. Driving a car at speed and riding a bike at speed are two different things.

oh i agree, just saying that when you pushing a good pace it can be difficult at times dodging the moving pylons on the pathways.