The City of Victoria has rebuilt the intersection of Fernwood Road and Haultain Street to include centre islands, crossrides, sharrows and a right in, right out (RIRO) restriction for Haultain. This has resulted in confusion among road users leading to collisions.
According to the person who asked me about this, the conflict is caused by cyclists who fail to stop for the stop signs on Hautain and fail to yield to cross traffic on Fernwood.
Overhead View of the Intersection
Intent of the Changes
This RIRO intersection design is meant to reduce motor vehicle traffic by diversion in a quiet residential neighbourhood and make it more attractive as a cycle route. The traffic islands and centre bollard prevents motor vehicle traffic from travelling straight through on Haultain.
Cycling Specific Road Markings
The first pavement markings found as you approach the intersection on Haultain are sharrows. These announce that the cyclist may be using the left side of the lane in preparation for crossing the intersection.
According to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Devices for Canada, the crossride or series of square markings and cyclist symbols in the intersection indicate the paths that cyclists crossing the intersection will use.
Using Crossrides
Cyclists on Haultain intending to cross Fernwood will approach the intersection using the left side of the lane. They will stop at the marked stop line as required by the stop sign. Having yielded as necessary, they will cross using the crossride for their direction of travel.
Once across the intersection riders will move back to the required position at the right side of the lane.
Other Methods of Travel
The cycle lane and crossride may also be used by other modes of traffic depending on the municipality and it's bylaws.
Combination of Crossride and Crosswalk
Perhaps you've already heard of an elephant's foot crosswalk. This is actually a combination of a crossride and a crosswalk. The two may also be marked side by side.
Motorists do have to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, but there is no requirement to yield in the same manner for cyclists in a crossride. This includes when the two are combined.
CHEK TV News Story - October 20, 2023
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The trend to transform roads that were NOT designed for cycling is wreaking havoc everywhere!
Bike lanes are not used often because people can't ride for 4 hours to go to work plus there are no bikes in winter.
We don't live in small communities like in Europe.
There are so many cases of very bad signals around greater Vancouver that authorities should be held liable for accidents.
We are forced to follow the law but the law cannot keep changing every year.
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Everything was so much simpler before the genius' decided to make bike lanes. Bike traffic lights, elephant feet (nobody I have spoken to knows of them) sharrows! And on and on.
I have cycled in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto and things run smooth. What is wrong here?
In Victoria the streets are narrow to start with and when only 13% of Victorians are cyclists why do these special groups get to control traffic flow?
Also in Victoria, Fort Street a main artery out of downtown was 3 lanes. Now it is one!
Another example further up on Fort there was a dual purpose lane, right turn or straight ahead. That lane has been replaced by a bike lane. Now straight through traffic has to wait until traffic ahead has turned. It is a busy corner with pedestrians because of the local high school.
In the morning rush hour you can count 15+ vehicles stopped for the light and the right turn vehicles. Clean air? Forget it! Reducing fuel consumption? Not a chance.
Even bus stops are separated from the curb by a bike lane. People getting off the bus have to ensure there are no bicycles. Do people wanting to ride transit stand on the bike path or what?
This nonsense has got to end!
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