Photo by Vince Fedoroff
AREA OF CONCERN – City staff will make a site visit to the Takhini North area (above, including the broomball rink) to look at concerns around parking problems posing potential dangers. A number of calls have come into the city. Residents are complaining about difficulties with sight lines following a collision between a cyclist and vehicle on Monday.
City staff – including bylaw officers, among others – will visit Takhini North ahead of a traffic committee next week.
City staff – including bylaw officers, among others – will visit Takhini North ahead of a traffic committee next week.
Their decision is a response to a number of complaints about area parking following a collision with a vehicle that sent a cyclist to hospital in Vancouver on Monday.
The collision remains under investigation by the RCMP, and a cause has not been determined.
Wyers said calls from area residents have been coming in to bylaw staff. Callers are complaining that vehicles parked on the roads in the neighbourhood are obstructing sight lines.
Of particular concern for many contacting the city is the area where a bike path enters Normandy Road, close to the broomball arena.
“The parking is at a premium (in the neighbourhood),” Wyers said.
Current regulations for the area permit parking on the streets for a maximum of 72 hours.
Vehicles that have been parked longer than that can be removed from the street.
Since Monday’s accident, the city has received four complaints about the situation.
Wyers noted it’s not unusual for residents to bring up concerns about roadways following a mishap.
Complaints were also made prior to those that followed Monday’s collision.
The city’s traffic committee, made up of city staff, looks at traffic issues and can recommend changes to council. It’s set to meet next week.
Wyers said bylaw and other city staff have decided to conduct a site visit.
Observations will be taken to the traffic committee during its meeting next week.
It will then be up to the committee to discuss the matter and decide how it will proceed with the issue.
Monday’s collision happened around 4:30 p.m. on Normandy Road between Range and Carpiquet roads.
The RCMP said the 20-year-old cyclist was coming off a bike path, attempting to cross the road when he was struck.
After being taken to Whitehorse General Hospital with serious injuries, he was medevaced to Vancouver.
The hospital will not release information on patients’ condition to the media without being told the person’s name. The cyclist’s name has not been publicly released.
An RCMP collision analyst remained on the scene for hours after the accident.
Representatives of the Takhini residents’ association and the local cycling club could not be reached for comment.
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Comments (13)
Up 9 Down 0
Atom on Jul 30, 2015 at 12:25 pm
@Politico.....too narrow minded......its simple, don't let car a run over you. 'Stay right'.
Up 4 Down 12
Politico on Jul 29, 2015 at 7:36 pm
"Yukoner" As usual 10,000 car drivers who don't even know the rules of the road much less follow any of them complaining about a 100 or so bikers. Maybe the laws should be enforced starting with all the speeding, red light running, stopping on crosswalks and no turn signal using sanctimonious behemoth driving pollution spewing, drivers who hurt and kill people and then blaming it on the victims. All that horsepower and waiting 1 second to allow an underpowered bike or pedestrian the right of way gets in the way of your right to drive like you own the road. Have some consideration but that's too much to ask of a righteous car driver!
Up 5 Down 3
get off the sidewalk on Jul 29, 2015 at 4:18 pm
The city is partly liable here in my mind. Regardless if the illegally cyclist crossed traffic and was hit the city is complacent in enforcing their own bylaws. RV's parked for weeks on end obscuring the trail head. The city's deluded vision of densification is also a factor in that people have nowhere on their postage stamp sized lot to house their toys and are forced to park them on city streets rather than their back yards.
Up 4 Down 12
Wendy on Jul 28, 2015 at 10:14 am
I don't know about Normandy Road, but the road in Takhini North that I take is Rhine Way, and the posted speed limit off of Range Road is 30 kph. My concern has been about the parents waiting with their kids (and dogs) for the morning school buses, whether in their vehicles or out - they park way too close to the crosswalk on Rhine Way. There should be a certain distance from the bus stop where parking or stopping of vehicles is not allowed. In the dark winter mornings we have to be especially aware of anyone at this crosswalk area.
Up 36 Down 4
Yukoner on Jul 27, 2015 at 2:45 pm
As always it's the poor cyclist even this weekend going to Skagway there were way too many a$$ Hole cyclist riding in the middle of the highway. When I was a kid and rode my bike I new I would lose to a car. So why are there so many adults today that don't get this?
Up 20 Down 5
Max Mack on Jul 27, 2015 at 11:47 am
The City's Bicycle Bylaw (BB) contains provisions which are inconsistent with the Motor Vehicles Act, thereby creating dangerous expectations, conflicting rights and setting the groundwork for accidents.
The BB expands the definition of a bicycle and gives cyclists preferential rights.
A few examples (not a comprehensive list):
* "A person operating and making a turn with a motor vehicle on a roadway shall yield to a bicycle being operated on the roadway." (Not even pedestrians are afforded this right.)
* bicycle lanes are essentially given the same status as lanes for motor vehicles, but motor vehicles are not allowed to drive in them.
* overtaking on the right by bicyclists is allowed.
* motor vehicles are required to give 1m of clearance to bicyclists. The only restriction is that the bicyclist must be travelling in the same direction. Effectively, this gives cyclists almost cart blanche power to control traffic flow.
Up 68 Down 1
Simple solution, slow down! on Jul 26, 2015 at 11:43 am
The cars, RVs, boats, old vehicles are not going to go away. It is the Yukon way. So what do we do? We slow down in neighborhoods.
On Hamilton where the bike trails cross roads, there are stop signs for the bikes, I know if I was on a bike I would look both ways (we were taught that when we were kids) before crossing a road.
In the neighborhoods where there are kids, people walking, little kids on bikes, we should as a general rule be driving a lot slower.
Up 13 Down 33
Politico on Jul 25, 2015 at 10:23 pm
"When sightlines are poor, it is even more prudent to stop, look and listen. I wish the cyclist a speedy recovery"
Yes, it's just a shame car drivers don't believe that
Up 38 Down 1
Salar on Jul 25, 2015 at 10:31 am
Stick all those people together in that small a spot and expect there won't be problems. Imagine buying a house in that neighbourhood expecting not to have to deal with congestion. So Yukon.....'you can't have an RV because I bought this side of the house....' Best of luck folks.
Hope the biker gets back to good health.
Up 28 Down 5
Takhini Resident on Jul 25, 2015 at 10:23 am
Lets replace 'parking' with 'driving' in the article and we get a much clearer picture of the true issue in the neighborhood. The roads are designed to be driven on in excess of 50 km and hour. And, no yield or signage at the pathway crossing. Pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorists will always be at the loosing end of this roadway design. And why does a parking committee have to deal with a moving vehicle problem, anyway?
Up 48 Down 2
Jonathan Colby on Jul 25, 2015 at 9:26 am
Parking is at a premium because they destroayed almost all the greenbelt and put in dense housing complexes. In the land of camper trailer/boat trailer/ 1 car per person families, this consequence was assured. Just wanted to point out that my neighborhood was better without all these new houses, and Takhini infill needed to stop years ago.
However, being densely packed doesn't mean there aren't rules. The cyclist obviously proceeded incorrectly. The cyclist knew there was a road, and the path crossed it. It was their responsibility to ensure that the road was clear. Despite the difficulties getting a clear view of the road while approaching said intersection, safe procedure can still be followed at the road. Peer around the vehicles, make eye contact with any oncoming traffic, and proceed when safe. Im not saying it isn't a bad spot, but all this hullabaloo is really unnecessary.
Up 43 Down 5
Emily on Jul 24, 2015 at 10:06 pm
I'm so sorry that someone was badly injured. I do feel absolutely horrible for him amd I hope that he recovers soon.
On a different note all together.. Bikers are horrible! Some don't care about road laws and do whatever they want. I don't know how many bikers I've almost hit, by being cut off or them coming out of nowhere. The government needs to start looking into the bikers on the road and the safety concern that they cause... Sorry, but true!
Up 45 Down 2
the bylaw says.... on Jul 24, 2015 at 4:22 pm
From page 5 of the City of Whitehorse bicycle Bylaw 2013-35:
17. A bicycle shall yield the right of way to a motor vehicle when entering any roadway from a trail unless indicated otherwise by a traffic control device.
As you read further, Schedule "A" of the voluntary fines states:
Section 17-Fail to yield to motor vehicle when entering roadway from trail $50.00 fine.
When sightlines are poor, it is even more prudent to stop, look and listen. I wish the cyclist a speedy recovery.