Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Bicycle Network Upgrade - Signage and Road Logos

 

RECOMMENDATION

COUNCIL POLICY

On May 27, 1997, Council approved the Transportation Plan that emphasized the need for increased awareness and visibility of cycling facilities.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to respond to the Transportation Plan's Cycling Initiatives by recommending the upgrade of existing bikeways with new signs and pavement markings.

SUMMARY

To improve and increase the awareness of the Bicycle Network in Vancouver, the following four proposals were reviewed:

1. The installation of bicycle road logos (pavement markings), as recommended in the Transportation Plan, along our bikeways. These road logos would be installed at approximately every third block, but specifically where the bikeways intersect arterial streets, intersect other bikeways, or turn onto another street.

2. The replacement of existing street name blades along our bikeways with new street name blades containing a bike logo.

3. The installation of overhead street name signs containing a bike logo at all signalized intersections where bikeways cross. The majority of these signals are pedestrian/bicycle actuated signals which currently do not have any overhead street name signs.

4. The installation of bicycle loop detector stencils at about 40 semi-actuated signal intersections. This would assist cyclists in placing their bikes appropriately on top of a loop detector such that they will be detected.

The demonstration project of the above proposals (1 to 3) along Heather Street was very well received. Some minor modifications have been made because of comments received. The four proposals are recommended because they would be effective in improving and increasing the awareness of our Bicycle Network.

The total cost of the proposals is $183,000. Funds to be approved as an increase to the 1998 Streets Basic Capital Budget, with the source of funding to be debenture borrowing approved as part of the 1997 -1999 Capital Plan. In addition, an increase of $15,000 to the annual maintenance budget would be required, without offset, to maintain these new services.

BACKGROUND

The Transportation Plan approved by Council on May 27, 1997, contained the following two cycling initiatives to be completed within three years:

Cycling Initiative C2 - Review existing bikeways for possible improvement such as more appropriate positioning of signal push buttons, improved lighting, better pavement maintenance, etc.

Cycling Initiative C4 - Paint bicycle logos on the pavement of existing bikeways at all major intersections and on every second block in between.

Currently, there are 85.5 kilometres of bicycle routes in Vancouver, with an additional 18 kilometres scheduled for completion by the end of 1998. Existing bicycle signs on these routes consist of a white bike logo on a green rectangular background with the route name mounted above. The signs are installed at every other block along the routes and are visible, primarily, to people travelling along the routes. Bicycle road logos or pavement markings are currently installed only where the bike route changes direction.

On May 1, 1998, several new signs and pavement markings with bicycle logos were installed along Heather Street between Broadway and 16th Avenue. The purpose of the installations was to demonstrate the new signs and pavement markings, allow for some public feedback, and to conduct field tests to further refine the proposed designs.

DISCUSSION

Bicycle Road Logos

The Transportation Plan calls for the installation of bicycle logos on the road as one way of increasing awareness of cycling facilities. The road logos would be installed on all existing and future bikeways where bikeways:

The above locations would provide the best exposure and be of most use to road users along the bikeways. Bikeways which have been developed in the past year (Ridgeway, Midtown, Sunrise and S.W. Marine) contain a budget for the installation of the bicycle road logos. Approximately two hundred and fifty logos would be needed to upgrade the remaining bikeways.

The material proposed for the road logos is a thermoplastic tape which is heat sealed to the road. The road logos installed on Heather Street, as part of the demonstration, are made of this material, but are a different design than the one proposed for final installation. The final design is similar to the bicycle road logos seen on Yukon Street near West Twelfth Avenue and a sample is shown in Appendix A. The thermoplastic tape is recommended because it is more durable and skid resistant than paint, and is more versatile and cost efficient than a glued-down tape.

Feedback from the demonstration project on Heather Street indicates strong support from the cycling community for the implementation of road logos. No concerns have been raised about the use of the proposed thermoplastic material.

Street Name Blades

While reviewing bicycle road logos and looking at the new street name blades for the Greenways Program, an opportunity was taken to value-add to the Transportation Plan's Action Item with the addition of a bike logo to street name blades and overhead street name signs. The proposed additions would further increase the awareness of our bikeway network.

Street name blades are an existing part of the City's infrastructure. Typically, at least one street name blade exists at every intersection. Since street name blades are required at every intersection, increased visibility of bikeways would be achieved with the addition of a bike logo to each street name blade without significant or additional maintenance costs. The primary benefits are that people are used to looking for street name blades and that the added logo would be visible both to people travelling along and across a bikeway.

Two designs for street name blades were used in the demonstration project (see Appendix B). All comments received from the public and staff preferred the sign with the larger bike logo because of its better legibility. The font style and the upper and lowercase letters were seen as fresh and clean looking and match existing Greenways street name signage. Therefore, it is recommended that existing street name blades along a bikeway be replaced with a new street name blade that contains a large bike logo. Where a Bikeway and Greenways route are located on the same street, the street name blades will be coordinated to ensure consistency citywide. Design options are currently being considered in conjunction with the review of the Greenways signage system.

Overhead Street Name Signs

Overhead street name signs are an existing part of the City's arterial street infrastructure at most traffic signal locations. However, pedestrian/bicycle actuated signals currently do not have overhead street name signs at any locations. It is proposed that overhead street name signs with bike logos be installed at all signalized intersections where bikeways cross. There are fifty-five signals (most of which are pedestrian/bicycle actuated) on existing bikeways which would require one hundred and ten overhead street name signs. The overhead signs would be most visible to people travelling on arterial streets. If signs are installed at all fifty-five locations, it is estimated that one million vehicle trips would pass by at least one of the signs every day. A car, bus, bicycle, or pedestrian travelling crosstown could pass by up to five signs on a single trip. Repeated exposure to the overhead signs with the bike logo would serve to increase awareness of the overall bicycle network, as well as individual bikeways.

Comments on the overhead signs installed along Heather Street were generally favourable, but several people were concerned about the thickness of the lettering of the street name and the size of the bicycle logo. In response, the sign design has been revised to address these concerns (see Appendix C).

Bicycle Loop Detector Logos

To further enhance cycling and increase the awareness of bicycling in general, it is recommended that bicycle logos be marked on the pavement on top of signal loop detectors at selected semi-actuated signal locations. There are approximately 150 semi-actuated signals in Vancouver. These signals contain detector loops embedded into the pavement that detect a vehicle sitting on top of them. Once the vehicle is detected, the signal changes and allows the vehicle to cross the intersection. These loop detectors will also detect bikes, but only if the bike is situated appropriately on the detector. Correct bicycle placement on top of the loop detector could be guaranteed with the installation of a thermoplastic bike logo as shown in Appendix D.

The City and District of North Vancouver are planning to install a similar bicycle loop detector logo on their streets. The City of Portland, Oregon, and the City of Boulder, Colorado, have used a similar bike logo with success. Other cities such as the City of Richmond, B.C., and the City of Ottawa, Ontario, have used a series of three dots instead of a bicycle logo. The advantage is the lower cost for materials and installation, but an education campaign may be required to educate road users of the purpose of the dots. Therefore, the use of the bike symbol is recommended because it is more self-evident and is a good reminder to motorists that cyclists have a right to position themselves appropriately on the roadway. An example of a similar bike logo installed in Vancouver can be found on Adanac, just west of Boundary.

Initially, we are recommending that 80 loop detectors at about 40 intersections throughout Vancouver be marked with the bike loop detector logo. This would address signal locations where the bike logos would be of most use to cyclists and allow for a further review prior to implementing the program Citywide. The first 40 intersections selected would be based on the following criteria:

IMPLEMENTATION

The proposed implementation schedule would have all overhead street name signs and halfof the road logos and street name signs installed by the end of 1998. The remaining road logos and street name signs would be installed in 1999. Consideration was given to installing the proposed street name blades based on the replacement schedule of the existing street name blades in order to reduce the capital cost of the signs. This was not recommended for the following reasons:

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Table 1 below summarizes the unit costs of the proposed bike logos and signage.

Table 1 - Summary of Unit Costs

ITEM

QUANTITY

UNIT COST

TOTAL

Road Logos

250

$150

$ 37,500

Street Name Blades

750

$100

$ 75,000

Overhead Signs

110

$500

$ 55,000

Loop Detector
Logos

80

$150

$ 12,000

Temp. Help

n/a

n/a

$ 3,500

 

TOTAL

$183,000

The total cost of all the improvements at $183,000 is to be approved as an increase to the 1998 Streets Basic Capital Budget, with the source of funding to be debenture borrowing approved as part of the 1997 - 1999 Capital Plan. For perspective, this equates to approximately 10% of our 1997-1999 Capital Plan for bicycle facilities. The advancefunding to increase our 1998 Capital Budget is requested to enable us to meet the time line objectives of the Transportation Plan and complete the proposed network upgrade within three years.

Although this project is eligible for Cycling Network Program funding, it is very unlikely to be approved because the program's priority is to develop new bike routes which can be monitored for its effectiveness in increasing cycling. This is clearly evidenced by our past submissions to the Cycling Network Program.

The Traffic Operations maintenance budget would require an increase of $7,500 per year for overhead signs plus an increase of $7,500 per year for road markings, for a total increase of $15,000 without offset. This increase is an estimate of the average annual maintenance and replacement cost for the new signs and road markings, recognizing that the allocation may be underspent in the short term and may be overspent in the long term. No increase in the maintenance budget for the new street name blades is required because the new signs can be accommodated within the existing maintenance budget.

BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Bicycle Advisory Committee has viewed the demonstration project along Heather Street and provided a number of useful suggestions regarding the new road logos and signs. Many of these are reflected in the minor changes being made to the sign designs. The Committee is very supportive of the initiatives and feel that they will further enhance and increase the awareness of the bicycle network in Vancouver.

CONCLUSION

The proposed upgrade of bikeways, as demonstrated on Heather Street, met with positive responses from the Bicycle Advisory Committee, staff, and general public. The road logos are a new initiative identified in the Transportation Plan. The installation of overhead street name signs and street name blades with bike logos, and bicycle loop detector logos are new initiatives proposed by staff. All four elements in combination should greatly enhance the visibility of individual bikeways and the overall cycling network. The cost of the proposal at $183,000 would be an increase to the 1998 Streets Basic Capital Budget, with the source of funding to be debenture borrowing approved as part of the 1997 - 1999 Capital Plan. Because the bicycle road logos, bicycle loop detector logos, and overhead street name signs (at pedestrian/bicycle signals) are new services, an increase of $15,000 to the annual maintenance budget would also be required.

NOTE: APPENDIX A-D NOT AVAILABLE ON-LINE - ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.

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