http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/07/11/snarky-signs-tell-drivers-to-respect-cyclists.html :lol:
By: Emma Jackson Metro Published on Mon Jul 11 2016
Hey drivers: chill out.
That’s the message behind some snarky new road signs on the McIlraith Bridge in Old Ottawa East.
The green and yellow signs read “Cyclists can take the lane; stop honking” and are meant to remind drivers that bikes are vehicles, too.
“Obviously the polite signage wasn’t working,” said Coun. David Chernushenko, who asked staff to rethink their strategy after several cyclists complained they were getting harassed. “No one likes to be told to relax, but that’s essentially the message. We’re all stuck here crossing this bridge, so let’s be safe about it.”
The bridge connecting Smyth Road and Main Street over the Rideau River has been severely narrowed by the ongoing Main Street construction work, and all vehicles are supposed to go single file on the crossing.
But when cyclists take the lane, many drivers are apparently still trying to pass, or they honk and harass the cyclists until they move over, putting themselves in danger, Chernushenko said.
“During construction projects it becomes particularly acute,” he said. “People are frustrated because they’ve already been delayed.”
He said some drivers have taken the change badly, but that’s to be expected “when you do the right thing.”
Heather Shearer with Citizens for Safe Cycling said she likes that the signs are clear about cyclists’ rights.
“It makes a good point,” Shearer said. “The other ‘share the road’ signs can be misunderstood as ‘cyclists, get out of the way.”
But, attention-grabbing as they are, she said she wouldn’t want the new signs to become a permanent alternative to things like bike lanes or other cycling infrastructure.
n this case, the signs will come down once the construction is finished, since the project includes new bike lanes, Chernushenko said.
And if the signs do migrate to other areas of the city, Chernushenko said they’ll be reserved for particularly troublesome spots.
“My goal is to see them strategically placed, definitely at all construction projects and at known existing problematic areas,” he said.
While Chernushenko stressed the focus of the new campaign is on education, the signs corresponded to stepped-up enforcement efforts from the police on Friday.
During a two-hour blitz, 29 drivers were ticketed for illegally passing a cyclist on a single-file road, said Const. Chuck Benoit.
Even passing with one metre to spare, as per the new rules, is not allowed on a narrow bridge like that.
Chernushenko said he'd like to see the city get to a point where sharing the road is just a given among all vehicles.
"If all road users understand better their respective obligations, we might achieve a point where the road is safer for everyone and charges are no longer necessary," he said. "I’d rather get compliance than issue tickets."
Benoit said drivers should expect more blitzes throughout the summer months while construction continues.
Here it's like local road engineers haven't rode bikes for a long time. If ever.
