Westworld Alberta

Buffered Bike Lane Shared-Use Lane Bike Box buffered bike lane These offer a step up in safety from the single painted line, thanks to a buffered zone — delineated by wide, diagonal lines — that creates extra space between cyclists and motor-vehicle traffic. Edmonton has proposed buffered bike lanes along parts of 106th Street, 132nd Avenue and 40th Avenue, and Red Deer converted a few traffic lanes to buffered bike lanes last year. Tip Buffered lanes are used the same way as dedicated bike lanes. Just remember: cyclists using them can still be clocked by a car door. "Getting 'doored' can be lethal for a cyclist," says Chan. If you've parked a vehicle along a bike lane (or any road), open your driver's side door with your right hand to force yourself to shoulder-check for oncoming cyclists. shared-use lane These lanes are shared by motor vehicles and cyclists — they sometimes sport a stenciled bicycle symbol topped with a pair of arrows. Of course, all roads can be considered shared-use. "As a cyclist, you have as much of a legal right to be in any lane of traffic as if you are a car," says Szarko. Shared-use lanes are the least desired type of bike lane, according to the AMA member cyclingopinion survey, because they provide the least amount of separation from traffic. Tip When in a shared-use lane, motorists should regard cyclists as — they would any other vehicle and give them their space at least one metre on all sides. Cyclists have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road, use proper hand signals and behave as predictably as possible. bike box You may have noticed a sizable green square with a white bike symbol painted onto the intersections of 116 Street and 87 Avenue in Edmonton and 10 Street and 5 Avenue in Calgary. The boxes, part of a pilot project to make intersections safer for cyclists (with more to come in both cities), designate a space for cyclists to pull in front of vehicles and safely make turns. Tip If the light is green, cyclists and drivers should turn normally. If the light is amber or red, drivers should come to a stop at the white line behind the box, and cyclists should hand-signal and position themselves in front of vehicles. (No right turns are allowed on red lights where there are bike boxes.) When the light turns green, cyclists make their turns first — then drivers can proceed. LEARN MORE Find out more about the rules of the road and how to steer clear of collisions at BikeSafety.caa.ca. p62-63_Analyze This.indd 63 Westworld >> M a y 2 0 1 3 63 13-04-12 1:25 PM

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