Cycling and Active Transportation in Edmonton

[TAS]

What… this makes no sense. Why?? Is this budget based or feedback from engagements?

I saw this on Twitter but I have no idea where Yeg Bike Coalition heard this info.

 

[thommyjo]

Some of you might be interested in this response I got from the Active Transportation team when asking about improvements to crossings for MUPs to better mark them and make people aware of potential bikes in more suburban settings.
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Thank you again for contacting us with your questions regarding markings on bike routes in Edmonton.

When planning and designing bike infrastructure, the project team will ensure the design complies with the City’s Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards, which dictate the design requirements for each facility type, including pavement markings, signage requirements and intersection treatments, on a site-specific basis. Green striped pavement markings are used at intersections for designated on-street cycling facilities. Since on-street cycling facilities are typically offset from the pedestrian crossings, the green pavement markings provide a visual indication to both the cyclists using the facility and motorists that an on-street cycling facility is crossing an intersection or accessway.

Under the provincial Traffic Safety Act and Canadian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, green pavement markings are reserved for exclusive bike lanes, and cannot be used on shared pathways. Having said that, we have heard from residents about the challenges of understanding whether a route is a shared pathway, and the City is addressing this through the following actions:

• Trialing the usage of a custom sign at stop/yield controlled intersections to inform drivers to expect two-way bike usage. Here is an example that can be seen on Summit Drive and 142 Street.
• At signalized intersections on district connector routes, the City’s wayfinding project will include streetblades signs with bike symbols to inform drivers to expect cyclists crossing. Here’s an example at 86 Avenue and 104 St.
• Explored using elephant’s feet (white squares) at crossings as this is the recommended practice from the Canadian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. However, at this time, there are no plans to expand their usage as it would be a significant maintenance increase and it is not clear whether their usage is clear enough to indicate bikes (compared to the signs which clearly have a bike symbol).
• To construct shared pathways using asphalt rather than with concrete, where possible, to create visual consistency.
• For slip lane crossings, there is an existing project on the national level to establish the signage and pavement markings for shared pathway crossings. The City is awaiting the decisions in this project prior to adding or changing signage at slip lanes in Edmonton.

 

[TAS]

Some of you might be interested in this response I got from the Active Transportation team when asking about improvements to crossings for MUPs to better mark them and make people aware of potential bikes in more suburban settings.
—

Thank you again for contacting us with your questions regarding markings on bike routes in Edmonton.

When planning and designing bike infrastructure, the project team will ensure the design complies with the City’s Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards, which dictate the design requirements for each facility type, including pavement markings, signage requirements and intersection treatments, on a site-specific basis. Green striped pavement markings are used at intersections for designated on-street cycling facilities. Since on-street cycling facilities are typically offset from the pedestrian crossings, the green pavement markings provide a visual indication to both the cyclists using the facility and motorists that an on-street cycling facility is crossing an intersection or accessway.

Under the provincial Traffic Safety Act and Canadian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, green pavement markings are reserved for exclusive bike lanes, and cannot be used on shared pathways. Having said that, we have heard from residents about the challenges of understanding whether a route is a shared pathway, and the City is addressing this through the following actions:

• Trialing the usage of a custom sign at stop/yield controlled intersections to inform drivers to expect two-way bike usage. Here is an example that can be seen on Summit Drive and 142 Street.
• At signalized intersections on district connector routes, the City’s wayfinding project will include streetblades signs with bike symbols to inform drivers to expect cyclists crossing. Here’s an example at 86 Avenue and 104 St.
• Explored using elephant’s feet (white squares) at crossings as this is the recommended practice from the Canadian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. However, at this time, there are no plans to expand their usage as it would be a significant maintenance increase and it is not clear whether their usage is clear enough to indicate bikes (compared to the signs which clearly have a bike symbol).
• To construct shared pathways using asphalt rather than with concrete, where possible, to create visual consistency.
• For slip lane crossings, there is an existing project on the national level to establish the signage and pavement markings for shared pathway crossings. The City is awaiting the decisions in this project prior to adding or changing signage at slip lanes in Edmonton.

In terms of this tactic:

• To construct shared pathways using asphalt rather than with concrete, where possible, to create visual consistency.

I prefer asphalt where possible - it's cheaper (bikes won't wear it out that quickly) and faster to lay down.