Cycling Hazards and Infrastructure Improvements within the Regional Municipality of Durham

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1 Report to The Regional Municipality of Durham Cycling Hazards and Infrastructure Improvements within the Regional Municipality of Durham Durham Cycling Club Inc. March 2015

2 Regional Municipality of Durham. c/o Derek Lee 605 Rossland Rd. E 13 Varley Drive Whitby, ON Ajax, ON L1N 6A3 L1S 4V5 March 2, 2015 Attention: Cliff Curtis, P. Eng., MBA Commissioner of Works Dear Mr. Curtis, Re: Durham Region Road Improvements to Encourage Cycling and Promote Greater Safety. The Region of Durham has requested input from the Durham Cycling Club egading how the Region might upgrade existing infrastructure to improve the safety of cyclists and promote the use of cycling as a means of transportation. The club welcomed such a request as many members have often expressed their views on the lack of cycling infrastructure in Durham compared to other jurisdictions. The membership was polled for their input which has been summarized in the attached report. We trust our opinions will significantly aid the Region in updating the Regional Cycling Plan and moving forward in a timely manner. Yours truly, Durham Cycling Club Inc. Roman Manko President C.C. Roger Anderson - Regional Chair All Regional Councillors Doug Robertson Kerri King Colleen Goodchild Region of Durham Report

3 Preamble The Durham Cycling Club has been established in Durham region for over 20 years. The current membership is just under 100 and includes a diversified group of the population ranging in age from 30 to 80 years with significant cycling experience in North America and overseas. The membership was surveyed to provide input to the basic question of how to improve the roads for cyclists in Durham Region. Those responses have been reviewed, consolidated and are presented below. The Law The Highway Traffic Act defines a cyclist as a vehicle subject to the same rules of the road as any motorized vehicle. Unfortunately some motorists are not aware of this and consider cyclists no more than a nuisance taking up their road space and drive accordingly. Regardless of the law a cyclist is extremely vulnerable to serious injury from a collision with a motor vehicle, especially on two-lane rural roads where speeds of 100 km/h are common. Bill 31, currently before the legislature, will require vehicles to give one meter clearance when approaching and overtaking a cyclist. Unless motorists and truck drivers know this and follow the rule serious accidents will still occur. By far the best solution is to have safe cycling lanes. Regional Cycling Plan The Regional Cycling Plan was introduced in 2008 and updated with a Working Consolidation plan in Although the plan proposes km of bicycle traffic separation only 45.2 km is scheduled to be implemented by The remainder will not be completed until The proposed Primary Cycling Network includes many E-W and N-S arterial routes that at the current time are just too dangerous to use. It is unfortunate that recent road improvements have ignored many of the recommendations contained in the Plan. For example: when Lake Ridge Road between Taunton Road and Highway 7 was repaved rumble strips were cut into the partially paved shoulder effectively eliminating any bicycle use. Also, the reconstruction of the Conlin Road/Harmony Road intersection has no provision for bicycle lanes slated to be built along Conlin. The Benchmark The greatest asset to safe cycling is a designated bicycle lane at least 1.0 meter wide, asphalt paved, with clear demarcation and free of encroachments such as catch basin covers. An example of this can be found on Ashburn Road between Brawley Road and Myrtle Road and is an excellent standard to adopt. Current Hazards Possibly the worst hazard is broken pavement such as pot holes, wide cracks, ruts and uneven surfaces. Any of these can cause a cyclist to fall and incur personal injury or worse - fall into the path of an approaching vehicle with possible fatal consequences. Longitudinal cracks parallel to the road direction and filled with tar are another tire grabber when the tar softens under the summer sun. 1

4 Sand and gravel at rural intersections and gravel thrown up from soft shoulders, driveways and intersecting unpaved roads act as marbles and cause crashes particularly when making turns. Catch basin covers have varied designs including some with drainage slots parallel to the road and large gaps between the cover and frame. Figures 1 and 2 show one example of this type. Some older covers have full length slots wide enough for a wheel to drop into. Often covers are not level with the surrounding pavement and have abutting sink holes. Cyclists will generally avoid riding over a catch basin causing them to move further left into the line of traffic. Figure 3 shows a catch basin design that avoids the above issues. Figure 1-2 -

5 Figure 2 Figure 3-3 -

6 Bicycle Lanes In addition to the cycling enthusiasts who see the safety improvements that a bicycle lane offers there are other individuals who have expressed that they would enjoy riding a bicycle but that the roads are just not safe enough. Currently, bicycle lanes are not prevalent throughout the Region. Many are short in length, stop short at intersections and do not provide continuous routes to transit hubs, shopping areas, learning institutions or green spaces. There are no safe, continuous E W or N S bicycle routes across the region. Underpasses at highway 401 are particularly hazardous to navigate. Paved shoulders can easily accommodate a bicycle lane but many shoulders are gravel that is not suitable for the narrower tires of a road bicycle. A drop-off at the edge of the asphalt is an additional hazard. A bicycle lane also provides protection from on-coming vehicles on two lane highways. Oncoming, overtaking vehicles are almost certainly exceeding the speed limit and are on the wrong side of the road. A cyclist faced with this situation has little option but to head for the ditch. A bicycle lane would provide the overtaking vehicle with a full width lane in which to pass. As important as providing greater safety for cyclists, a bicycle lane, added to a driving lane, allows vehicles to drive at normal speeds without hindrance. Bicycle lanes should be continuous at intersections. Mutual Respect The majority of cyclists are motorists but only a minority of motorists are cyclists. Clearly many motorists will not appreciate the problems encountered by cyclists who swerve to avoid potholes, catch basins and the like. There are some motorists who resent cyclists on the road and demonstrate this with abusive language, deliberately trying to run cyclists off the road, hurling objects from moving vehicles and wheel spinning gravel from the shoulder into the face of a rider. All these rages have been experienced by various club members. Fortunately these motorists are in the minority. Then there are the other drivers who are not paying full attention, e.g., buses and school buses that overtake a cyclist and then come to a stop, vehicles overtaking a cyclist and immediately making a right turn, drivers reversing into the road and drivers turning in front of cyclists because they have little idea of how fast the cyclist may be travelling. Cyclists too, for their part, have to consider the motorist by: not unduly taking up more of the road than the law permits; obeying traffic signals and stop signs; not blocking right turn lanes and by giving timely signals for turns. Some kind of education is required. Television advertising showing specific situations, consequences, the relative law and fines would have a significant impact. Such a campaign, would no doubt, be a Provincial undertaking although an awareness campaign by the Region would also be a benefit. While mutual respect is not an infrastructure issue it does complement the overall mandate of safer cycling

7 Recommendations The following recommendations are based on a common sense approach and examples experienced in other jurisdictions at home and abroad. The list is not in any particular order except that item 20 should be given priority this year. It is recognised that some of these recommendations are included in the Regional Cycling Plan. However, the current perspective is that no significant progress has been made to implement them. 1. Finalize the Regional Cycling Plan and budget with an improved schedule and implement the plan in a timely manner. 2. When building new roads and upgrading existing roads include for cyclists and the recommendations in the Regional Cycling Plan. 3. Set a standard for all new collector and arterial roads to include bicycle lanes/paved shoulders. 4. Consider what other jurisdictions have done including standards from institutions such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 5. Prioritize pavement repairs based on safety, volume of traffic and current state of repair. 6. Maintain road surfaces more expediently. The winter months cause considerable damage and when left unrepaired the problems become exacerbated. 7. Sweep roads more than once a year to clear sand, gravel, broken glass and the like. Perhaps create a link on the Region s web site to report unsafe conditions. 8. On narrower roads which cannot accommodate a dedicated bicycle lane create a shared use lane marked by a dotted line with intermittently painted bicycle logos within the lane. Motorists can drive within the lane except when approaching and overtaking a cyclist. Signs to the effect should also be posted. 9. At Highway 401 underpasses add a virtual bicycle lane similar as noted above. The bicycle lane would be in the innermost lane that is continuous through the underpass starting from the commencement of the right turn lane to the end of the highway exit lane. Similarly at Highway 407 except, since there is still time, incorporate a full bicycle lane. 10. Give consideration to a higher standard of road construction particularly when repaving older roads that may not have anticipated the volume or weight of current traffic. 11. Replace hazardous catch basin covers and frames. 12. Construct catch basins so that they do not encroach into the road (see Figure 3 as an example)

8 13. Lobby the Province to require guards on trucks. The trucking industry appears to be baulking due to the cost. As a cyclist these costs, spread over the life of a truck, appear small compared to the cost of a life. 14. Pave gravel shoulders to create a bicycle lane and an unobstructed vehicle lane. 15. Instead of bicycle lanes stopping short at intersections continue them through. Use a dotted line if the bicycle lane takes up too much of the driving lane. 16. Create bike lanes on significant E-W and N-S roads to link all parts of the Region. 17. Pave existing gravel roads (Sidelines) north of Highway 7 at the west end of the Region. There are no paved secondary roads to cycle on to get further north of Highway 7. Paving Westney Road north of Concession Road 7 to Myrtle Road would provide a link to Claremount and further points north and west. 18. Work with local authorities to coordinate cycling improvements for a seamless bicycle network. 19. Undertake an advertising campaign to promote mutual respect by motorists and cyclists to add to the Share the Road signs. Perhaps signs, e.g., You are entering the Region/Town of Please respect our cyclists and pedestrians. could be considered. Advertisements at public transit stops and in or on transit vehicles, newspaper articles, health department and tourism pamphlets, town and regional websites, etc. are other avenues. 20. Specific roads requiring urgent repairs where piece-meal patching is not an option include: Conclusion a) Ashburn Road from Townline Road north to Marsh Hill Road; b) Scugog Line 6 from Road Marsh Hill Road east to Highway 12; c) Concession Road 7 from Westney Road east to Salam Road; d) Concession Road 3 from regional Road 30 east to Whites Road; e) Whitevale Road through Whitevale village; and f) Simcoe Street shoulders from Coates Road north to Shirley Road. The Durham Cycling Club welcomed the opportunity to voice its opinions regarding steps can be can be taken to improve the safety and promote the use of cycling throughout the Region. The general thought, real or perceived, is that the Region of Durham is lagging far behind many jurisdictions here in Ontario, the remainder of North America and abroad when it comes to cycling infrastructure. The Region actively promotes bicycle tourism. At the present time the unsafe conditions of roads within the Region are not an endorsement to this program. It is hoped that the above recommendations will be useful in moving forward to make the Region of Durham a safer place to cycle for residents and visitors alike