Photos have come out, gracias to the Canada Line Photos blog, that show the City of Richmond have begun rebuilding No. 3 Road - which includes the region’s first (AFAIK) raised bike lane.

The concept is quite simple: to provide physical separation between cyclists and drivers. It’s what every would-be cyclist dreams of having and it’s quite exciting to see it finally being built.

Of course, in the region, we do have greenways, but these are always quite far away from any moving car. There’s never been physically separated bike lanes that are attached to a road. While the Carrall St. retrofit is quite the project in and of itself, it resembles more closely to a greenway than a traditional bike lane.

The raised bike lane is supposed to increase the safety for cyclists from motorists and help keep the lane clean from rocks and other debris typically pushed to the side of the road (where the traditional bike lane is).

It’s a terrific experiment. While I personally have always envisioned bollards, a small boulevard, or even a low level cement separator to separate the bike lane from the road, the concept of a “raised” bike lane may prove to be the key to providing a safer cycling network. Most certainly, it’s a huge leap in the right direction.

Three cheers to staff and council in Richmond. I’ll be watching this experiment closely. Those of us who support physically separated lanes will certainly have a more local example to point towards if this proves successful.

Sphere: Related Content