York Blvd., Hamilton
On the Sunday of the Victoria Day long weekend, after doing some camping and hiking at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, Jen and I rode to Hamilton to visit family. Riding to Hamilton is actually a relatively frequent trip for us, and for the majority of the ride it's really fun and scenic.
On Sunday I noticed this sign for the first time, while riding eastbound on York Blvd. into downtown Hamilton. I had to stop and turn around to take a picture because it cracked me up.
Seriously...what does this sign really mean? Are we expected to stop sharing the road after this point? Is it OK for a motorist to just run right over a cyclist anywhere beyond this sign? Should we have pulled over and walked our bikes along the sidewalk the rest of the way?
It reminds me of the signs I see around Toronto: "Community Safety Zone....Ends!"
Anyway, besides this little chuckle, we actually had a nice time riding around Hamilton. Sometime soon, I will post another article and photos of a new bike lane that was installed on a more westerly portion of York Blvd. in Hamilton.
Comments
Ben
Thanks for the laugh
Thu, 05/29/2008 - 16:07Anonymous (not verified)
Misunderstood
Thu, 05/29/2008 - 19:21You misunderstand the meaning of the sign. It simply indicates that the road is no longer wide enough for bikes and cars to travel side by side. Ergo, the cyclist continues to ride unabated and any cars must either ride behind him, or pass him safely.
The EnigManiac
According to...
Thu, 05/29/2008 - 21:06...the latest edition of the HTA Drivers Manual, motorists MUST afford 3 feet of space between their vehicle and any cyclist while remaining fully within their lane. Otherwise, they must pass completely in the adjacent lane. Considering that the province advocates riding out from the curb a foot or two, that would mean the lane would have to be about 10 feet wide. Since the road shown in the photo is not, doesn't sharing the road violate that principle, at least as it is illustrated by the sign?
anthony
1 metre suggestion
Fri, 05/30/2008 - 01:03The Manual offers 1 metre as a suggestion of a safe distance to afford cyclists when passing.
I wrote the exact quote before, but here are the relevant sentences from page 38 again:
There is nothing in the current HTA that makes this mandatory. But I can only hope that the mention in the Driver Handbook is foreshadowing things to come.
Ben
Misunderstanding
Fri, 05/30/2008 - 12:57I doubt there was any misunderstanding. The sign is funny when you take what it says out of context.
vic
Understood
Fri, 05/30/2008 - 13:54Yeah, I understand what the intention of the sign is.
Even without that sign, or wide lanes, or whatever, all road users should still be expected to "share the road". If the lane isn't wide enough for a motorist to pass safely, then the "sharing" occurs when the motorists waits until it's safe to pass, or changes lanes before passing.
In any case, "sharing the road" should never end.