Vancouver Stanley Park Drive - A cyclist's guide

Ya, #5 is debatable. On the stretch just before the downhill, I find cars to speed. Maybe people forget the speed limit coming out of prospect point or maybe the long stretch of straight road lends itself to naturally higher speeds.

I am open to do the Stanley Park Triathlon as part of a team effort if anyone is looking for a cyclist. I've only been training cycling this summer.

Regarding speed limits and bicycles, here is the 146 section from the BC MVA:

Speed limits

146 (1) Subject to this section, a person must not drive or operate a motor vehicle on a highway in a municipality or treaty lands at a greater rate of speed than 50 km/h, and a person must not drive or operate a motor vehicle on a highway outside a municipality at a greater rate of speed than 80 km/h.

(2) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by causing a sign to be erected or placed on a highway limiting the rate of speed of motor vehicles or a category of motor vehicles driven or operated on that portion of the highway, increase or decrease the rate of speed at which a person may drive or operate a motor vehicle or a category of motor vehicle on that portion of the highway.

(3) If the minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act has caused a sign to be erected or placed on a highway limiting the rate of speed of motor vehicles or a category of motor vehicles driven or operated on that portion of the highway, a person must not, when the sign is in place on the highway, drive or operate a vehicle on that portion of the highway at a greater rate of speed than that indicated on the sign for that category of motor vehicle.

(4) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by notice in the Gazette, define areas in the unorganized area of British Columbia, and may by causing signs to be erected at the entrance to an area so defined direct the rate of speed at which a person may drive or operate a motor vehicle or a category of motor vehicle in that area, but the rate of speed must not be greater than 60 km/h.

(5) If the minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act has caused signs to be erected or placed on a highway in accordance with subsection (4), a person must not, when the sign is in place on the highway, drive or operate a vehicle on a highway at a greater rate of speed than that indicated on the sign for that category of motor vehicle, unless another sign on a specific highway in the defined area so indicates.

(6) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a municipality may by bylaw direct the rate of speed at which a person may drive or operate a motor vehicle on a highway in the municipality.

(7) If, under a bylaw adopted by a municipality or a law enacted by a treaty first nation, signs have been erected or placed on a highway limiting the rate of speed of motor vehicles driven or operated on a designated portion of the highway, a person must not, when the sign is in place on the highway, drive or operate a motor vehicle on that portion of the highway at a greater rate of speed than that indicated on the sign.

(8) A municipality may by bylaw direct that the rate of speed at which a person may drive or operate a motor vehicle in the municipality on a lane not exceeding 8 m in width must not be in excess of 20 km/h.

(9) Despite section 260 (3)[enforcement powers] of the Community Charter, a person who contravenes a bylaw made under subsection (6) or (8) does not commit an offence against the bylaw.

(10) A municipality that has enacted a bylaw under subsection (8) and a treaty first nation that has enacted a law having the same effect are not required to erect signs designating the rate of speed at which motor vehicles may be driven or operated.

(11) A person must not drive or operate a motor vehicle on a lane in a municipality that has enacted a bylaw under subsection (8) or in the treaty lands of a treaty first nation that has enacted a law having the same effect at a greater rate of speed than 20 km/h.

Two exceptions to this:

1) Section 140 pertaining to construction zones, where it says vehicle and not motor-vehicle:

140 Where traffic control devices as indicated in section 138 or 139 are erected or placed on the highway, a person must not drive or operate a vehicle at a greater rate of speed than, or in a manner different from, that indicated on the signs.

2) Section 147 pertaining to schools and playgrounds:

147 (1) A person driving a vehicle on a regular school day and on a highway where signs are displayed stating a speed limit of 30 km/h, or on which the numerals "30" are prominently shown, must drive at a rate of speed not exceeding 30 km/h while approaching or passing the school building and school grounds to which the signs relate, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or subject to subsection (1.1), between any extended times

One possible pitfall is City of Vancouver STREET AND TRAFFIC BY LAW NO. 2849c:

ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC REGULATIONS RESPECTING PUBLIC PARKS

63.A (4) Drive any vehicle in any public park (except as provided in section 44) at a
greater speed than 40 kilometres per hour or such lesser speed as may be
directed by traffic signs.

Technically you don't "drive" a bicycle, but their definition of Drive is: means to drive, operate, propel, or otherwise control a vehicle.

And their definition of vehicle is: includes any device by which any person or property may be transported on a roadway, irrespective of the motive power, but does not include railway cars running upon rails.

So maybe you could be given a ticket under 63.A(4), but you could argue that the MVA never intended speed limits to apply to bicycles, and thus the bylaw is unenforceable. Or you could argue that the causeway that goes through Stanley Park, and directly conflicts the bylaw since it is within Stanley Park, so it can't be both ways.

Here's a related topic that someone wrote with regards to the non-application of speed limits to bicycles in Ontario: http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/2009/09/cyclists-cant-be-c...

Speed limits on a yellow background are suggestions. The true speed limit is whatever is on a white background.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/popular-topics/faq.htm#traffic_signs

That spot for catching speeders is pointless, because everyone is going 50~60 kph there. They should setup in places where it's flat or uphill to catch the true speeders.

I stay in aero up that hill.

I'll write an app that detects the bumpiness of the road based on vibrations in the phone, coordinates with GPS, and centralizes that data for all users to download. I'll make money by selling the data to municipalities who want to monitor the quality of their roads.

I thought they use to have bags on the horses years ago. They should pay someone to follow the horse with a shovel, what a great job that would be. Dog owners don't get a pass, why don't horse owners have to pick up their animal's turds?

Good point about #2.5, as well as cars pulling out from the parallel parking spots without looking.

I can't remember ever passing a bus going uphill to prospect point. As the roar of their engines approach, it becomes a challenge to stay in front for as long as possible, only to end up eating a mouthful of exhaust.

Good additions! What's your average lap speed?

Edited by meepx2 2014-08-01 9:16 PM

The police were at their favorite speed trap location today between 3 pm and 4 pm. Looks like they were hungry for tourists, as it looked like most of the cars they stopped had US plates. Once they have someone pulled over, it blocks off one lane and causes congestion. Next time, I'll ask if they are citing section 146 or the by-law.

Edited by meepx2 2014-08-05 1:29 AM