A designated bike lane is supposed to be respected at all times by drivers and cyclists alike.
Sure, there’s only a painted symbol and a white line – maybe the occasional sign – but it’s there for a reason and needs to be adhered to at all times.
Unless someone needs to park suddenly. How many times have you seen a delivery truck or one of those food-app drivers park their vehicle in a bike lanes because they are too lazy to find a proper spot?
An even bigger problem is when someone needs to build something. Then bike lanes get tossed to the side for months at a time.
I’ve seen this situation going on for a long time in front of Brentwood as the bike lane has been disrupted by construction crews. I’ve included some signs around the area of Lougheed and Willingdon.
Yes, it’s still winter, but there are a lot of cyclists out on Burnaby roads no matter the weather.
What are they supposed to do when the bike lane suddenly stops?
That’s the question I saw tweeted out to the City of Burnaby this week by @laureljeanine, who says in her Twitter description that “Bikes make everything better.”
“Hi @CityofBurnaby what’s your policy on creating a safe detour when bike lanes are closed? I’ve had a lot of trouble lately with the SkyTrain trail by Patterson station. Yesterday, a Valley Traffic Systems truck was parked in the middle of the pathway west of the station.”
It’s an interesting question, so I posed it to the City of Burnaby myself, forwarding the tweet in question.
This was the response.
“Contractors are required to submit a traffic management plan whenever any construction activity will impact our roads (including bike lanes),” read a city statement.
Hi @CityofBurnaby what’s your policy on creating a safe detour when bike lanes are closed? I’ve had a lot of trouble lately with the Skytrain trail by Patterson station. Yesterday, a Valley Traffic Systems truck was parked in the middle of the pathway west of the station.
— Bikes Make Everything Better (@laureljeanine) February 27, 2020
“When detour routes are not feasible, contractors must designate a traffic control person to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians in the area. We can appreciate Laurel’s frustration with the situation she described at the Patterson SkyTrain Station. We looked into recent work in that area, but don’t have any record of work requiring road or bike path closures over the past week. In these situations, we appreciate when a resident tips us off so that city staff can respond in person to address the traffic issue. To report an unsafe traffic situation in a construction zone, call 604-570-3660 or email [email protected].”
So that means taking a photo and contacting the city. It seems unfair for it to be up to cyclists – or pedestrians in some cases where sidewalks are blocked – but here we are.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
