‘Floating’ bus stops remove conflict
Re: “Lanes a nightmare for blind pedestrians,” letter, Sept. 23. I’m fortunate to be able to use a bicycle as my main means of transport. I have on more than one occasion been forced to the curb at a bus stop because the driver did not see me on my bike. My wife was cut off last week by a school bus. The “floating” bus stops remove this conflict.
I can sympathize with citizens who have impaired vision. However, these “floating” bus stops are not new. I saw them in common use when I lived in the Netherlands, where they have been incorporated into a safer street design for more than 30 years. We have the benefit of these best practices already being used, mainly across western Europe.
While alighting from the bus directly onto the sidewalk might be preferable, the sidewalk has hazards. Garbage bins, planters, seating, hydro poles and sandwich boards take up precious real estate for people walking. The floating bus stops are at a preferred height, and contain none of the hazards commonly found on a sidewalk, allowing transit users a clear and level surface to the short crossing. People using the bike lane yield to a marked, raised crosswalk.
All road users can be inconsiderate; however, to call a bike lane “life threatening” is ignoring the bull in our urban china shop, with motorvehicle drivers causing a disproportionately high number of deaths and serious injuries. The more street space we allocate to active transport and transit, the safer all users of our streets will be. David Lacey Colwood