Rolling stops part of new bike review

Advocates say it’s safer to allow riders to slowly roll through some intersections

Rolling through a stop sign, letting motorists back into angle parking — cyclists have some very specific hopes for a new provincewide bike review getting its Edmonton launch Monday.

Alberta and its major cities have agreed to develop a shared bicycle facilities guideline. A review of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act would follow, said the City of Edmonton’s Claire Ellick, a partner on the project.

Consultant Urban Systems is meeting with health-care providers, police, bike advocates, transportation planners and others Monday in Sherwood Park, part of a series of stakeholder meetings kicking off its work across the province.

It’s expected to complete the guidelines within a year.

“It will be especially exciting for the smaller communities,” said Chris Chan, executive director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters, who is planning to be at Monday’s meeting if the weather holds for the long ride.

Without a clear guideline, each city planning new bike lanes needs to go out and study other best practices itself, he said. Small towns just don’t have the capacity to do that; they might make mistakes or just not do bike lanes at all.

The guideline project is being led by the City of Calgary. The City of Edmonton, Rockyview County, Red Deer, Alberta Transportation and the Town of Canmore are also involved, said Ellick.

She said Edmonton put the socalled Idaho Stop on the table after council’s urban planning committee voted to lobby the province for it last September.

Idaho was the first jurisdiction to allow cyclists to treat stop signs like a yield in 1982, giving its name to the rule.

Advocates argue cyclists should be allowed to roll slowly through a stop because their sight lines and stopping distances are better. They tend to ride long distances on residential roads and spend more energy starting again from a stop.

Coun. Andrew Knack said he hopes the new guide and review

Make sure you reduce conflict points. That’s safer for everyone.

of the Traffic Safety Act will make rules clear for everyone, since the current act often doesn’t mention cyclists or simply treats them as vehicles.

That makes something like a left-turn in heavy traffic frustrating because you feel like you’re getting in the way, said Knack, a regular cyclist.

“Make sure you reduce conflict points. That’s safer for everyone,” he said, hoping the guidelines will consider those factors.

Chan said he hopes the guidelines will define where it’s appropriate to have pedestrians share a path and when the volume of users makes that a bad idea.

Also, he said, back-in angle parking has been proven safer for pedestrians and cyclists in other jurisdictions.

“It’s illegal right now in Canada.”