Get behind the Bike Box

[nfq]

It's starting in Edmonton and geared toward cyclists, but isn't this the filtering that we've all been wanting to happen in this province too?
Cyclists today, motorcycles tomorrow?

The comments and statements from the traffic engineers are what sells it best.

Edmonton - September 14, 2012 - The City has unveiled Edmonton’s first bike box. Located at the intersection of 116 Street and 87 Avenue, the green square with a white bike symbol designates a space for cyclists and allows them to clear the intersection ahead of cars.

“Bike boxes make intersections better for everyone,” says Transportation engineer Andrew Siggelkow. “It allows drivers and cyclists to act predictably at intersections and be aware of one another, helping them share the road.”

Putting cyclists ahead of cars at intersections means greater visibility, so cyclists are less likely to be sideswiped or cut-off. They are also less likely to get stuck trying to get around a right-turning vehicle, so conditions are more comfortable for drivers, too.

The City has launched an education campaign around the bike box, including an instructional video available online. This is another step in meeting the City’s goal of increasing Edmonton’s bicycle infrastructure and encouraging Edmontonians to consider cycling as a transportation alternative.

For more information or to view a video on using a bike box, go to www.edmonton.ca/bikebox.

 

[Malks]

Bike boxes have been in TO for over a year. Harbord at St. George comes to mind; I know there are others.

 

[nfq]

I avoid downtown like the plague. Never saw one but I'll keep an eye out.

 

[Major]

And so the war on cars continues. This prevents turning right on red. And with the amount of pedestrians, when the light turns green, a car cannot turn right. I can see this working well.

 

[knowledge]

I'm not too fond of the idea, but I'm open to being convinced otherwise. Motorcycles & scooters getting to the front are a good idea because they can take off and be out of there when the light turns green...but I'm not sure I see the benefit for bicycles being able to filter to the front. As soon as it turns green, they're slowing down everyone behind them.

The U of T bike box is an excellent example of this. It's fine for U of T because it's a single lane road full of actual bicycles. But how many other roads are like that?

 

[the27thelement]

Not until scooters and cyclists take a driving course to learn the rules of the road, pay for liscensing, stickers and insurance, will I accept sharing the road with them.

 

[unL33T]

Not until scooters and cyclists take a driving course to learn the rules of the road, pay for liscensing, stickers and insurance, will I accept sharing the road with them.

Scooters and mopeds require licenses, plates, and insurance. Even electric scooters. e-bikes, on the other hand, do not.