Another item from “Designing for People of All Ages and Abilities: Active Transportation & Health in Vancouver” by Dale Bracewell, the Active Transportation Manager at the City of Vancouver:
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Click to enlarge
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Observations:
- Hornby Street moves approximately 14,000 vehicles per day – unchanged for the last five years. Despite some perception, the cycle track has not reduced motor-vehicle traffic flow.
- But it has increased bike volumes by 50 percent over just the last three years, and as significantly, increased pedestrian flows by 10 percent on the west sidewalk and 20 percent on the east side since 2008.
- People seem to prefer walking on the cycle-track side of the street – presumably better for business.
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To see all of Dale’s presentation, from which these slides were taken, check out this video, part of the April 30 lecture at SFU Vancouver with Jat Sandhu.
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Surely from a business perspective, walking traffic has to be better than driving traffic.
Indeed. People shop. Not cars. Perhaps we will understand that and once we close Robson street for cars, for example, see shopping explode on that street. Ditto on Davie or S-Granville.
I thought it was unfortunate for those businesses along Hornby that the bike lane was on the opposite side of the street than they are.
That two block section with the court house and those nice trees has no businesses at all on that side. There could totally be some food kiosks with tables and chairs on that side.
What is interesting from this video is that the collision rate for a cyclist is about 79 per 100,000 trips. For a pedestrian about 74 per 100,000 (hard to make out that 74). Almost the same so either pedestrians need to start using helmets or cyclists don’t need to.
The east sidewalk along Robson Square with double row of trees is much nicer than the west side of the street which has a narrow sidewalk. The Robson Square side may also be more of an “active” public space than the west side, with more pedestrian interest (performers on the steps, etc.). That could account for much of the minor difference (2600 versus 2500).