A reply from the British Columbia Minister of Transportation

Last summer (2009) I had some unpleasant experiences with rumble strips in British Columbia while doing a bike tour around the Glacier and Waterton national parks. For an interminable part of the route in BC, we were caught in a narrow, hazard-ridden path between a ferocious rumble strip on the left and some even worse hazard on the right. It was possible to ride, but it made me nervous and on occasion demanded that I face the bucking of the rumbler. When we got to Fernie, we got into a conversation with some local folks who turned out to be cyclists and, on the topic of rumble strips, they begged us to write to their authorities to register our complaints. They were particularly despondent because their main annual ride had been canceled because too many of the participants felt the roads were too hazardous. (The photo shows a rumble-stripped stretch at its very best.) Well, I wrote various government agencies and officials — including, impudently, the premier of the province. Yesterday, I got a response from the BC Minister of Transportation, Shirley Bond.  It doesn’t sound like Fernie is likely to get its festive ride back very soon, but it does look like they are taking a serious look at the issue. The response:

183246 – Bicycling in British Columbia

Dear Andrejs:

Premier Gordon Campbell has asked me to respond on his behalf to your
e-mail of September 2, 2009, regarding your experience cycling from
Roosville to Fernie. Please accept my apologies for the lateness of this
reply.

I was sorry to hear that your cycling trip in the southeast corner of
the province was disappointing. My ministry takes its responsibility to
provide a safe, effective transportation network very seriously, and we
try whenever possible to safely accommodate cyclists on our roads and to
provide increased opportunities for cycling. In fact, we have worked
with cycling groups and various stakeholders and agencies over the past
several years to improve our rumble strip policy, and to introduce new
rumble strip specifications.

Rumble strips are now narrower and placed closer to the white fog line
to allow cyclists more room on the road shoulder, and gaps are provided
so that cyclists can more easily avoid rumble strips. As well, rumble
strip installations terminate before driveways and intersections to
allow more comfortable turning movements for cyclists. Also, rumble
strips are now only being installed on new pavement or existing pavement
that is very smooth.

The rumble strips you encountered along the Crownsnest Highway were
installed prior to the new specifications and will be removed when this
corridor is repaved. Any new rumble strips installed will meet the
revised specifications, which should make this corridor safer and more
pleasant for cyclists. In the meantime, ministry staff will be doing an
assessment of existing rumble strips. Ministry staff will also work with
the maintenance contractor to ensure that repairs are made to improve
the pavement surface, as necessary.

Please be assured, encouraging cycling in British Columbia is an
important priority for my ministry. Since 2008 the Province has invested
over $48 million in cycling projects in communities across the province.
On provincial roads and bridge improvement projects, road shoulders have
been widened wherever possible, and we’ve also been working to ensure
that cycling facilities are a prominent feature in all new and
rehabilitated transportation infrastructure. As well, our BikeBC program
continues to assist local governments to develop safe, effective cycling
infrastructure.

Thank you for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,
Shirley Bond
Minister

Copy to:    Premier Gordon Campbell

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