Divergent Views

Letters to the Editor--lately anyway--epitomize such divergent views!

A letter in today's Morning Star, entitled Fuel Tax, is pretty darn interesting.
Taken together, the letter by Ms. Lissau, to which he refers--(but we have not reprinted)--gives an entire new meaning to drawing apart from a common point.

"Fuel Tax"
I feel like I need to respond to Julia Lissau's letter, "Think of it as a polluter-pay fee." 
What a pile of rubbish.

Once you take out all of the filler and rhetoric from this letter, you are left with the basic fats.  Ms. Lissau is ignoring the fact that not everyone "drives because they can."  Many people drive because they have to.  What about the aged, disabled and infirm?

"...start requiring bike licenses of $150 per bike per year and toll booths on bike paths of $1.50 each use."  W.Brunsdon

What about people who live a long distance from work, family and amenities?

What about people who commute between cities for work?  What about people who drive for a living?  What about mechanics, car salespeople and all of those whose employment is linked to vehicles?

If it is so important to build even more bike paths that will be used six or seven months out of the year, instead of repairing and maintaining the infrastructure we already have, then let bicycle riders pay for it.

Let's start requiring bike licenses of $150 per bike per year and toll booths on bike paths of $1.50 each use.  We could fine those without helmets and put the money toward a true bike utopia.

I know, let's tax spandex shorts.

A fine for all those riding a bike anywhere other than a designated bike path.

All of the above funds to be returned once the global average temperature drops 0.75 degrees over a 20-year span if that drop can be attributed to people riding their bikes.

Clearly the above is over the top, but so is asking people who drive to pay for your hobby.

I think bike paths are fine but not one dime should be spent on them from public funds until all of the roads in Vernon are returned to a reasonable safe state of repair.

Potholes ruin tires and the tires then need to be recycled.  Swerving to avoid potholes crates danger.

As to raising the gas tax, think about the big picture and everyone, not just yourself, before you start to pontificate about how you, as a bike rider, somehow hold the moral high ground."

        Ward Brunsdon



"I'm all for taxing spandex shorts," attests Kia, and adds, "that's what creates the real divergent views, especially from the rear!"

Bike Path Liability

...so typical of governments to not consider Cause and Effect.

And Coldstream has its own poorly-thought-out Bike Paths.
With plans for more.

But first, this compelling Letter to the Editor, about Vernon's bike paths, from January 13, 2013 in The Morning Star.

"I've had three occasions in the last year that could have in all likelihood ruined my life.  the most recent was travelling on Alexis Park Drive, heading north towards 43rd Avenue.  I apologize for sounding selfish in this regard because it could also, and more so, (have) ruined the lives of people I don't even know.  Actually, I'm still shaken from it.

"...a bike path that pretty much encourages kids to come out and play in high-density traffic."  G.Thomas

Two kids were riding their bikes on a bike path to the left of the parked cars.  Check it out yourself.  The sidewalk, of course, is where these kids should be on their bikes.  However, I passed one.  The one in front inadvertently nipped the mirror of a parked car, overreacted and was in my traffic lane.

I was fortunate for no oncoming traffic.  I veered to the left and missed hitting this child.  If there was oncoming traffic, there would be a collision to avoid hitting this kid.

Not myself or anyone else could prognosticate the potential horror of this, all because of a bike path that pretty much encourages kids to come out and play in high-density traffic.

The next incident involved an adult biker close to a turning lane off 20th Street and 46th Avenue.  The actual bike lane here moved to a ramp toward a part of the sidewalk.  Instead, this person turned left next to a jut-out curb and right in front of me.  I was forced to jam my brakes.

I hope this city gets rid of bike paths, especially those to the left of parked cars.  The other hope is my conscience for at least trying to forestall the eventuality of a tragic accident given my close calls."

Gordon Thomas

Bike paths ARE dangerous, especially when constructed to the left of parking lanes, as shown in this photo from the U.S.A. 

Mr. Thomas explained the problem, and intersections pose danger too: 

The danger of right turns...

 And whatever happened to the tenet--learned many years ago from our parents when we were youngsters--to ride facing traffic, as in this example:

Ride facing traffic

Both the District of Coldstream and the City of Vernon, in their mad rush for bike paths to comply to the wish lists of senior bureaucrats in Victoria, have built--and are planning more--paths that carelessly place cyclists among traffic on poorly placed and haphazardly designed paths.


What if--in Mr. Thomas' case--there had been oncoming traffic and a collision had occurred?

Is the builder of the bike path liable for poor construction?
Is the child on the bike liable for the collision of Mr. Thomas and the oncoming car?
Is Mr. Thomas liable?  Consider that a court might argue Mr. Thomas could have--in a split-second decision of the "lesser of two evils"--opted to strike an oncoming car instead of hitting the child?

At a minimum...all bikes using bike lanes must be equipped with handlebar rear-view mirrors (on both handlebars), front and rear lights (LED-activated by pedal), AND that all bicycles using bike lanes must have liability insurance.

These are all factors that put our communities--and its residents who pay the bills--in jeopardy because of their planning deficiencies.

Cause and effect...entirely lost on consultants and bureaucrats.

The solution?
Better design with cause and effect in mind.

Don't build bike paths where cars are parked at the right (and DON'T try to fix that by eliminating curb-side parking!).   Bureaucrats in Victoria need to add "requirements" to the bike helmet rule:  that all bikes using bike lanes MUST be equipped with handlebar rear-view mirrors (on both handlebars), front and rear lights (LED-activated by pedal), AND that all bicycles using bike lanes MUST HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE.  Quite the money-grab for ICBC, but it is necessary.

A couple of the most dangerous "designs" are:  the exit lane (from 25th Avenue onto Hwy 6 where cars have the non-stop merge lane, yet is crossed by a green-painted bike path...green naturally gives cyclists the "false assurance" they need not stop and look behind them for traffic turning right.  Another is at 25th Avenue and 34th Street, where cars and cyclists heading west "meet" if a car were to turn right.  Neither of these bicycle paths face traffic...which sadly resulted in a bicylist's death this year at the 37th Street intersection with 25th Avenue.

Coldstream's next bike path is its Phase II extension on Kidston Road.

Are planners looking ahead to preventing liability risks?  

"They can't see beyond their noses, so it's doubtful," offers Kia.

A sad case indeed...local governments heeding big government's wishes without sufficient forethought.
And sadder stories will come.