Traffic circles, 'sharrows' create dangers for cyclists
Traffic circles at residential intersections are seven times more dangerous for cyclists than stop signs, mainly because cyclists and drivers are con-fused about who gets to go first, according to a University of B.C. professor.And cyclists who travel on multi-use paths or on "sharrows" - narrow paths on main roads with a painted bike chevron - are less safe than on roads with no biking infrastructure at all, said Kay Teschke, a professor with UBC's school of population and public health.
"There's no question there's a lot of confusion about traffic circles because lots of people don't know who has the right of-way. They both do this little dance of who should go first and then they both go," Teschke said. "We've implemented a lot of new infrastructure without a systematic way of training the existing drivers and cyclists of what these things mean."
Teschke noted education campaigns were held for separated bikes lanes, but little has been done for other infrastructure, such as sharrows, which are problematic because they're narrow and inconsistent, and often force cyclists to merge into traffic.
The city's website shows various symbols, including a bike with two arrows indicating where cyclists should position them-selves on a sharrow, and a bike with one arrow indicating the direction of a traffic circle. But it offers little other guidance on what to do when a cyclist and a driver meet.
Sharrows show that bikes have the right to be on the road, but because there's no dedicated space for cyclists, motorists will often drive too close, said Erin O'Melinn, executive director of HUB, formerly the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition.
And she said some sharrows, especially on Main Street, suggest cyclists should ride close to parked cars, which puts them at risk of being hit by car doors opened by drivers who don't look first.
"There hasn't been a campaign explaining these types of things," Teschke said. "When you do so many sharrows all over the city, it's a little more difficult."
She noted it's harder to educate people these days because there's many different forms of social media. When crosswalks were introduced, the public was easily informed through TV ads.
A 2009-10 study by UBC found sharrows were cited as having a "higher risk than no infrastructure."
Separated bike lanes - where cars and bikes don't mix - were considered 20 times safer in between intersections and 10 times safer overall, Teschke said.
City transportation manager Jerry Dobrovolny said most conflicts between drivers and cyclists occur at the busiest intersections. Main and Union - at the east end of the separated bike lane on the Dunsmuir Viaduct - is one of those hot spots.
On the west side of Union, a one-way separated bike lane runs eastward, parallel to the viaduct, while the street beside it only allows westbound cars. Across Main, westbound cyclists on Union waiting out the red light have a painted "bicycle box" that allows them to veer left onto the viaduct, turn right or go straight. But cars often park in the box. And vehicles on Main are often backed up in the intersection.
ksinoski@vancouversun.com
