Aphorisms; the bane of my existence! Trying to describe my disappointment with some of the bicycling infrastructure in the North Okanagan, I am challenged with aphorisms such as, ‘Something is better than nothing’ and ‘be thankful for what you have.’ What I really want to say about walking and bicycling infrastructure is, ‘Don’t hang onto that mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.’ When I first saw the object on 43rd Ave, and the remedial action of painting it yellow, I made a video denouncing the facility and showing an excellent solution across the street on the North side of the intersection. Since that video the NOCAT mail box has received some excellent comments such as, ‘How will that be cleaned with a street sweeper and snow plough?’ Another mentioned a point I had completely missed, the hazard sign indicates road users should go to the left and, obviously, most cyclists will go to the right, except if the road has debris, or snow or pedestrians. Apologies in advance to motorists who think bicyclists are unpredictable. BTW, motorists won’t be able to see debris. (continued after image comparing the north side to the south side of the intersection) Since that video even more ‘remedial’ action has been taken to clarify (?) the route for bicyclists. Once again, with the aid of yellow paint, a route around the object on the right is clearly outlined. I guess we’ll deal with debris and snow when the need arises.
So as an Advocate should I be happy to have ‘something?’ Is anything better than nothing? Is this object and subsequent treatments of yellow paint better than nothing? This is the 3rd instance in Vernon that I know of, where the hazard sign indicates left and where the cyclist route is on the right. Is this a new thing in traffic sign demarcation? Aphorisms where are you in my hour of need?
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May 2018
Kerry CarlsonKerry is happiest when she's out of her car and on her bicycle. As a community physiotherapist, she'd love to see more people of all ages engaging in an active lifestyle by walking and bicycling to where they need to go! Bruce MolBruce keeps active by walking and running in the Vernon area. When not on foot you can often see him on bicycle, with his trailer, shopping locally or taking his recycling to the depot. Bruce has also been a CAN-BIKE bicycling skills instructor for over 20 years. See www.gonecycling.com |