In this series we stop people along the bike lanes in Vancouver and have chats with them about their thoughts on cycling, their bikes, and more. Have a look at the archive HERE.
Name: Jeffery
Type of bike: Norco. Its an old clunker, but it's good because it doesn't break down.
Where are you headed off to?
I'm just headed to pick up some slide film for a school project at the lab in East Van. I'm an artist.
Awesome, what school do you attend?
I go to Emily Carr at the moment.
Is your bike your main form of transportation?
Yes, I commute on my bike at least 4 times a day.
What is your favorite part about biking around Vancouver?
Well, its just a lovely city to bike around in. The scenery is amazing, but also coming from Victoria where it's not as developed I find here there has been a lot of effort to make things integrated. Even though Victoria is getting better, I find that Vancouver is more ahead of the game in regards to that.
How long have you been living in Vancouver?
I've been here for a little over 2 years.
And what about Vancouver makes it bike-friendly in your opinion?
Asides from the godsend that are those two bike only lanes downtown, they have put a lot of effort into little things like having a demarcation between lanes where cyclists are liable to go in between cars. As a vehicle driver myself – I have my full license – I totally know what frustrates drivers, and for a lot of people if you are not expecting cyclists or someone to go between you, that is a big issue, so by putting demarcations in spots it really helps increase knowledge of whats there. And things like that which make the bike system in Vancouver so much safer.
Is there anything you would like to see changed even more?
Well I think that it is headed in the right direction on its own, and obviously there are things that we wish for and what's reality, and it takes a lot of time for things to change. For example with the lanes downtown, I know those were highly controversal, and the vote was really close. Which is just an example of how everything takes time and nothing happens immediately.
Are there any immediate things that I could wish for? I mean not off the top of my head, but I think we are sort of at a point where Vancouver is moving towards a mutual consensus between a critical mass of all the road users. They are seeking improvements, and I think that is what matters.
