Yes, it鈥檚 true 鈥� I鈥檓 using this space to write about a speed bump.
Not just any bump.
The city, in fact, calls it a raised crosswalk.
Whatever it is, there is now a significant mound of asphalt in the middle of the road in the 500-block of Union Street in Strathcona. If you know the neighbourhood, it鈥檚 right outside Benny鈥檚 Market.
It was installed in May and 鈥� here鈥檚 the big news hook 鈥� it鈥檚 quite possibly the highest speed bump/raised crosswalk in the city!
Even Paul Storer, the city鈥檚 manager of transportation design, can鈥檛 think of another spot in town where such a traffic-slowing device has reached such a height.
But, as Storer told me, the bump wasn鈥檛 supposed to be that high.
鈥淲ith this one, there was some kind of honest miscommunication with the crews and they went in and built it at a higher elevation than we were expecting,鈥� he said.
How much higher?
The standard raised crosswalk 鈥� of which there are few in the city 鈥� is typically three inches high. Storer believes the crosswalk on Union Street is six inches, although it looks much higher.
鈥淲hether it varies from six inches along the street [from curb to curb] is kind of the question,鈥� he said, noting the crown of the street is typically higher to allow for water runoff to the curbs.
The design of the crosswalk allows pedestrians to be elevated from the street and makes for an up-and-across-and-down effect for bikes and cars travelling along Union.
Storer said the crosswalk was installed as part of upgrades being done to the Union/Adanac bike route, which sees an average of 5,000 cycling trips per day.
If you鈥檝e been along that stretch at rush hour, particularly at this time of the year, it鈥檚 essentially a bike highway, with cyclists far outnumbering motorists.
So crossing the street, as Storer said, can be difficult for pedestrians.
鈥淭he biggest intended purpose is really to give the pedestrians the priority and to be sure that motor vehicles are slowing down,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f it slows down some of the faster moving bikes, that鈥檚 a great thing, too.鈥�
Slowing cars 鈥� yes. Slowing bikes 鈥� not so much, according to Janet Benedetti, who manages Benny鈥檚 Market, which has been along that stretch of Union for more than a century.
Even with the new marked sidewalk and street signs, she said, some cyclists continue to race by the store and fail to stop for pedestrians, particularly young children going to school up the block.
鈥淪everal of the neighbourhood kids that try to cross the street are always unsuccessful and have had some close calls,鈥� said Benedetti, in between serving customers Wednesday.
鈥淎nd cyclists 鈥� not all cyclists 鈥� they actually curse and swear at them as they鈥檙e crossing.鈥�
She said the bump doesn鈥檛 seem to have impeded cyclists, noting she heard one rider the other day talk about the air he could get off the sloping mound of asphalt.
Some cars, however, are bottoming out as they cross, she said.
Benedetti would have preferred a pedestrian-activated crossing light outside the family鈥檚 store but settled for a raised crosswalk.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been OK, but people are still not yielding [to pedestrians],鈥� she said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 relatively new, but yesterday there were two 10-year-old girls trying to cross the street and no one on bikes would stop for them. An adult had to intervene. It shouldn鈥檛 have to be like that.鈥�
Added Benedetti: 鈥淚t鈥檚 in the early stages. I鈥檓 really hoping things improve. I think the next step is to maybe have a police officer stand here and watch what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
Benedetti stressed she is not anti-cyclist, noting her husband and other relatives ride bikes. 聽She just wants the street safer for everyone who lives, visits and works in the neighbourhood.
鈥淲e have to get along, obviously, I just think there are a lot of bad cyclists out there who think they are entitled to whatever they want to do,鈥� she said, noting recent road closures to complete other upgrades in the neighbourhood had some cyclists riding on sidewalks.
The bike route on Union, she believes, has been in place since the 1990s, with her sister-in-law writing a two-and-a-half page letter in 1995 to the city to provide feedback on the route.
鈥淪he stated how rude the cyclists were 鈥� even back then,鈥� Benedetti said.
鈥淪he said she鈥檚 been spat on, she鈥檚 been sworn at and she said she鈥檚 witnessed so many times where a little old lady or a parent with a child trying to cross the street couldn鈥檛 cross.鈥�
Green Party Coun. Pete Fry, who lives in Strathcona, has driven, ridden and walked across the bump. Fry echoed much of what Benedetti said about conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians trying to reach or leave the store.
鈥淚n fact, I know one local mom who got in a huge swearing match with a cyclist who didn鈥檛 yield for her, and she was pushing a baby carriage,鈥� Fry said.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 like anything, it鈥檚 always a few bad apples who make everybody else look bad.鈥�
Fry said having a 鈥渃ycle highway鈥� in a densely populated neighbourhood is a challenge for the city, but work continues to try and achieve a balance for all people in Strathcona.
That includes better educating cyclists about 鈥済eneral respect for pedestrians. That is a real sore spot of conflict for folks who live in the neighbourhood,鈥� he said.
Which led me to another question, and the more deep-think reason for writing this piece:
Has 麻豆传媒映画reached a point 鈥� at least in Strathcona, if not across other neighbourhoods in the city 鈥� where so many people are cycling, that it鈥檚 now time to slow them down?
I ask as a motorist, a cyclist and pedestrian.
I also ask because I鈥檝e been on the beat long enough to remember when bike-promoting politicians urged us to get out of our cars and onto our bikes.
There was no cycling infrastructure in this city to speak of 10 years ago; painted white lanes on a road don鈥檛 count.
Fast forward to 2019, and a cyclist can now ride from Chinatown, through downtown, over the Burrard Bridge and into Kitsilano in a protected bike lane.
The Cambie Bridge has a dedicated cycling lane, and the Granville Bridge will one day have its own once a redesign is completed in the next few years.
More and more upgrades are being done to bike routes all over the city, including recent curbs and cycling-only paths installed along the 10th Avenue route.
The result is cycling trips have increased and more people are riding to work and choosing two wheels instead of four to get around Vancouver.
That鈥檚 what city stats say.
Despite the bike-friendly moves, there is still a critical mass bike ride 鈥� where cyclists take over the streets and cause headaches for motorists and pedestrians 鈥� at the end of each month in this city.
In fact, there鈥檚 one this Friday.
Is it necessary?
Obviously the 43 people on the Critical Mass 麻豆传媒映画Facebook group page who indicated they would participate think so. Same goes for the 132 interested in joining the peloton.
In my rush hour experience on a bike, that number of cyclists will travel over the bump on Union Street in less than 15 minutes. The same street, by the way, also had a section near Gore recently designated as one-way for vehicles.
As a cyclist, it鈥檚 great. As a motorist, it鈥檚 an inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the bump outside Benny鈥檚 鈥� just call it the Benny Bump, already 鈥� will continue to be monitored by the city, Storer said.
鈥淥ur initial review is that it seems to be working, even though it wasn鈥檛 exactly what we designed. But if we do start to see problems, it is something we could replace with something more standard.鈥�
Enjoy your Canada Day weekend, everyone 鈥� however you get around.
