Fraser River bridge's cyclist safety system can't distinguish between bikes & cars

The $200,000 system to notify drivers that a cyclist is present on the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge can’t actually distinguish between bicycles or automobiles.

The system is supposed to warn drivers when a slower cyclist is on the extended Fraser River crossing, which has no sidewalks or shoulders. But almost immediately, riders gave the system bad reviews, calling it a ‘band-aid’ unlikely to solve the problems.

And last week, The Current reported that the system is failing regularly, with a reporter witnessing two false notifications within the span of five minutes last week. Dozens of Current readers have themselves witnessed such false notifications.

Now we know why. In response to questions from The Current, a Ministry of Transportation spokesperson said the system uses radar to detect objects moving along the highway shoulder just prior to the bridge.

“Once the radar detects an object moving through the detection zone the overhead flashers will be activated.”

But that system can’t distinguish between objects, according to the ministry. That means that cars briefly straying into that zone can trigger the system. (The Current witnessed the system activated after vehicles pulled to the side to let an ambulance pass.) The technology would also seem to miss any cyclist travelling in the roadway, as is legal and often used, especially when there is no traffic on the road. On the day The Current recently visited the bridge, the shoulder was strewn with rocks and gravel.

One cyclist spoken to by The Current suggested a button-activated system would be more reliable—and thus safer. The ministry spokesperson said the system was used because “cyclists in the past have expressed frustration with systems that require them to stop and press a button when there is no legal requirement to stop.”

The speed limit on the bridge has also been recently reduced from 80km/h to 70km/h. The ministry said that was done “in an effort to improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.”