Steps to Creating a Bike Friendly Community

Transcription

1 Steps to Creating a Bike Friendly Community The Town of Smithers is interested supports initiatives aimed at making Smithers a more Bike Friendly community. Recreation and transportation in the form of cycling encourages healthy and active lifestyles for residents, contributes to Town mobility, and improves the sustainability of the Town s transportation system. The Town of Smithers has a compact community layout, an interconnected street system, and has invested in a linked system of natural areas and parks including a perimeter trail system that is continuously improved to provide accessibility to all residents. Programs and initiatives are now underway to build on these elements and increase bicycle use in the Town of Smithers for recreational and commuting purposes. Rationale... Transportation Network Efficiency: Cycling as a commuting option has the potential to make better use of existing infrastructure by using less space per person than other modes thus reducing the demand for future road infrastructure improvements. Environmental: Cycling is a sustainable form of transportation, consuming low levels of energy and producing no pollution. Health: Cycling has numerous health benefits and promotes an active lifestyle. Tourism: Development of recreational cycling can generate economic activity from cycling activities and events. By improving the quality of connections and facilities, cycling can become a more attractive mode of transportation for commuting and recreation. 1

2 Current Initiatives: Main Street Bike Fair: An opportunity for residents to comment on current initiatives, helmet fitting and replacement, safety bingo for kids, Community Policing bike skill development course. Promotional Items: In order to increase cyclist safety the Town of Smithers is providing reflective helmet / bike stickers to increase nighttime visibility of bikers. Free helmet giveaways to youth who require a helmet replacement. New Bike Racks: The Town of Smithers plans to install approximately 70 new bike racks around the community. The new racks will be strategically placed and provide a more secure location than previous designs. Proposed Bike Route: Plans are underway to establish our first bike route which spans the entire length of 3 rd Avenue. Signage, Sharrows and Speed limits are being considered to increase cyclist safety while using this transportation route. Educational Programs: The Prevention and Community Safety Office is currently providing educational programming to young cyclists through the facilitation of an annual bike rodeo for all students aged 9/10 in our school district. Educational resources for cyclist and drivers will be provided to the public through the use of local media, web, and presentations. 2

3 Maps of proposed 3 rd Avenue Bike Route Pilot Project and Trail Network 3

4 Safety Tips for Cyclists No. 1 Brighten up: Bicycles can be hard for other road users to spot in the mix of busy traffic so cyclists need to be as visible as possible. Bright, reflective clothing is the best option for the rider, while the bicycle itself needs to have lights. If you ride at night, your bicycle must be equipped with a white headlight visible at 150 metres, and have a rear red light and a red rear reflector. Even if you are doing all of these things, never assume you have been seen by a vehicle. No. 2 Do not rush: Remember to stop and look in all directions before cycling out of an intersection, driveway or lane. The majority of all children's cycling crashes are caused by the child riding out onto a roadway without looking. Cyclists need to ensure they follow the rules of the road. Just like any other vehicle, you need to obey stop signs and other traffic control devices and enforcement. No. 3 Start at the top: While we're talking rules, remember to always wear an approved bicycle helmet that meets safety standards it's the law in BC and you could be fined for not wearing one. Bike helmets alone could prevent up to 85 per cent of serious injuries, which account for 80 percent of all bicycle-related deaths. Look for a helmet that is approved by a recognized body such as Snell. More important than who made the helmet is how it fits. It should be snug, but not uncomfortable, and should not be able to roll off of your head when the chin strap is secured. No. 4 Get well positioned: Position yourself so other road users can easily see you do not weave in and out of traffic. Importantly, ensure you always avoid riding in blind spots of other road users. Cyclists should ride on the right side of the road and in single file. No. 5 Be defensive: While it is fine to ride in an assertive manner, cyclists need to think and look well ahead. Remember, a conflict between a bicycle and a motor vehicle usually results in injury to the cyclist. Pay particular attention for vehicles turning at intersections, and slow down and take it easy on the curves. 4

5 Safety Tips for Drivers and Other Road Users No. 1 Keep your eyes peeled: As a road user, it is important that you always actively look for cyclists in traffic, especially in the spring and summer months when there are more of them on the road. Wherever possible, make eye contact with the cyclist to let them know you have seen him a cyclist often relies on eye contact as a means of communication as they try to anticipate your next move. Make yourself familiar with the hand signals that cyclists use. Shoulder checking is also important, especially when making right-hand turns at intersections and before you open your door to get out of your vehicle. No. 2 Put things in perspective: It is often difficult to judge the correct distance between your spot on the road and a bicycle as it is approaching, particularly when turning left. Be extra cautious for cyclists, especially when turning at intersections. Before you pass another vehicle, make sure you check for oncoming cyclists and bicycles ahead of the vehicle you are passing. No. 3 Do not get close: Drivers need to pay attention and yield to people on bikes and, importantly, need to keep at least three seconds of following distance. Bicycle movements can be unpredictable so an increased distance will give you more time to safely react. A significant number of crashes involving cyclists result from side-sweeping, so make sure there is enough space if you want to pass a cyclist. No. 4 Keep out: Bicycle lanes are reserved for cyclists do not drive, stop or park in a bicycle lane. Sometimes you will need to cross a bicycle lane to turn right, or to pull to the side of the road. When you need to do so, take extra care be sure to signal well ahead and remember to always yield to cyclists. No. 5 Be considerate: Like pedestrians, cyclists are vulnerable road users and don't have the protection drivers have both in terms of the shell of their vehicle and their seatbelt. Don't honk your horn at a cyclist unless you need to give them a warning. A loud honk could startle them or even cause them to fall. 5

6 Cyclists and the law The Town of Smithers Highway Use Regulation Bylaw 1249 states: No person shall propel, coast, ride or in any other way use a vehicle device on any portion of a sidewalk, walkway, or boulevard in a (C1) Town Centre Commercial zone and (C1A) Downtown Commercial zone of the Municipality of Smithers. Where a Bylaw Enforcement Officer has reason to believe that a person has violated the provisions of this Bylaw or is in violation of this Bylaw, that Officer may remove, detain or impound the vehicle device. The person entitled to possession of the impounded chattel shall pay to the Municipality an impoundment and detention fee of ($20.00) twenty dollars for the vehicle device. Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act states: All cyclists must wear an approved safety helmet. A parent or guardian of a person under the age of 16 years commits an offence if the parent or guardian authorizes or knowingly permits the person to operate or ride as a passenger on a cycle on a highway if that person is not properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet. A person convicted of an offence under Section 184 is liable to a fine of not more than $100. Section 183 of the Motor Vehicle Act states: A person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle. A person operating a cycle must not; ride on a sidewalk, ride on a crosswalk when crossing a highway, ride abreast of another person operating a cycle on the roadway, ride a cycle on a highway where signs prohibit their use, use the cycle to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped. A cycle operated on a highway between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise must have; a lighted lamp mounted on the front displaying a white light visible at least 150 m, a red reflector of a make or design approved by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and a lighted lamp, mounted and visible to the rear, displaying a red light. For full information on Sections 183 and 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act as it relates to cycling visit: 6

7 Educational videos for Cyclists and Drivers tips/cyclists/cyclists.html For further information or educational resources contact the Town of Smithers Prevention and Community Safety Officer at