Editor:
I am writing with regard to the serous cyclist/car crash which occurred on Sept. 12 at MacPherson and Beresford.
The photographs published in the Burnaby NOW suggest the cyclist was travelling westbound on the B.C. parkway urban trail (multiuse path/MUP). As stated in the article, the motorist was travelling north on MacPherson.
There is no stop sign on MacPherson, however there is a clearly marked crosswalk where the parkway crosses MacPherson on the north side of Beresford.
A northbound driver entering the intersection has an unobstructed view of pedestrians or cyclists on the parkway who are approaching this crosswalk.
A cyclist on the parkway approaching the crosswalk sees “elephant’s feet” along each side of the crosswalk. Crosswalks marked with elephant’s feet are common throughout the Burnaby urban trail system. They indicate a cyclist can cycle through the crosswalk.
The City of Vancouver has included elephant’s feet in their street and traffic bylaw. Despite their wide use in Burnaby, they are not included in the City of Burnaby street and traffic bylaw.
Elephant’s feet markings are also not included in the current issue of ICBC’s “Drive Smart” manual used to train new drivers. The antediluvian BC Motor Vehicle Act is, of course, silent on elephant’s feet markings.
The Sept. 12 crash occurred despite both the driver and cyclist having clear sightlines to see each other. Perhaps one, or both of them, was not looking or perhaps they both assumed the other would yield. The driver may not have noticed the elephant’s feet, nor understood their meaning.
Many cities in B.C. apply green paint on conflict zones between drivers and cyclists. However, Burnaby seldom uses green paint. The elephant’s feet thus create a false sense of security in cyclists which puts them at risk when a driver does not look far enough left or right to see a cyclist approaching a crosswalk. This risk particularly applies to inexperienced cyclists, e.g. families with children, who believe MUPs are safer than roads.
Given the wide use of elephant’s feet crosswalk markings in Burnaby, it is inevitable that similar cyclist/vehicle crashes will occur. Although Burnaby is currently promoting active transportation as an alternative to vehicles, Burnaby intersection designs remain focused on vehicles and pedestrians. There is no significant consideration of the higher speeds of conventional bicycles, let alone E-bikes and scooters.
Had the MacPherson/Beresford intersection been assessed with regard to cyclists on the heavily used B.C. parkway MUP, stop signs could have been added on MacPherson. This would aid motorists crossing the parkway to see approaching cyclists and would certainly reduce the speed involved should a motorist fail to yield and hit a cyclist in the crosswalk.
The existing stop signs on Beresford would ideally be left in place with the addition of yield to cyclists on right and left-turn signs. These signs would mitigate another widespread hazard with Burnaby MUPs – drivers swinging into left or right turns across MUPs without shoulder-checking for cyclists on the MUP approaching from behind. The current ICBC “Drive Smart” manual does require that such shoulder-checking should be done.
I have been driving for 54 years and commuter cycling for 50 years. The cycling me is very aware that drivers all too often look only look ahead. I regularly cycle along this stretch of Beresford during the afternoon rush hour. The identical hazardous situation exists at Beresford and Buller. I never use the MUP.
Given the negligent design of the MUP and the relatively light vehicle traffic on the streets involved, I am safer on the street.
Duncan Reid, Burnaby
