I appreciate and share Vancouver’s goal to recognize all road users’ needs in restriping lanes on MacArthur Boulevard, but the suggested Sharrows system puts cars and bikes in the same lane. That would irritate me as a driver, be unsafe for me as a cyclist, and I don’t even like to think how risky it would be for our kids. MacArthur has two schools and multiple crossings.
If Sharrows are “out,” what is “in”? Restripe the “more traditional way” for streets with lower daily traffic averages like Mac: one car and one bike lane each direction with left turn lanes/areas at intersections — like we have on Grand and 18th Street — that handle much heavier traffic effectively. We could buffer the bike lanes (just a bit more paint, nothing expensive) to further clarify driving/biking spaces, keeping our drivers, cyclists, and kids saner and safer.
As a driver, I don’t want to share my lane with cyclists, especially children. As a cyclist, I don’t want to hold up cars as I pedal my potatoes and milk home from the store at 15 mph in front of a large SUV. Converting Mac to the striping outlined above would make all users safer, lessen dangers for kids at the crosswalks (currently five lanes across), and keep traffic flowing.
Nothing trendy or spendy. Much safer. Totally ‘Couv.
Jan Verrinder
VANCOUVER
