Once again another passing incident is being discussed in this article from video observations made on June 8, 2023. As may be recalled these actions are being taken to obtain further insight into how and why cyclists are struck while being passed by motor vehicles. Furthermore the Colborne Street site is expected to have a painted cycling lane created by the City of London and it is interesting to see how passing motions occur before creation of the painted cycling lane and how these might change after the cycling lane is operational.
As may be recalled Gorski Consulting has documented 14 incidents of passing motions from video sessions conducted on April 12, April 14 and June 8, 2023. A table of those observations has been shown several times in previous articles and is being shown again below.
No passing incidents were documented during the April 12, 2023 video session. Six incidents were documented on April 14 and another eight we documented on June 8. The present article will review the passing motion labelled as “Jun 8-3” which involved a Black Pick-up truck passing a cyclist before the two reached the 50-metre zone of observation.
The cyclist’s progress during travel through the 50-metre zone of observation is shown in the table below. Generally the cyclist remained relatively close to the concrete gutter of the northbound lane as evidenced by the average distance of 0.61 metres west of the concrete gutter. This is the first instance where we see the results from someone riding an e-bike.
As can be seen in the video frame shown above, the cyclist crossed the Zero marker at timecode 00;18;53;25. It can be seen that the pick-up truck had already passed the cyclist at this time and the truck can be seen in the background of the above figure. The pick-up truck had previously crossed the Zero marker at 00;18;51;58 or about 2.5 seconds before the cyclist arrived.
Shortly afterward a White Car approached and it crossed the Zero marker at timecode 00;18;54;03, as seen the figure below. It is noted that the White Car was located about 2.50 metres west of the concrete gutter as it passed the Zero marker.
The figure below shows a view looking southward as the Black Pick-up truck is crossing the 25-metre marker as its right front tire is located about 1.60 metres west of the concrete gutter. Thus the Pick-up truck is moving back into the northbound lane when it is about 20 metres ahead of the cyclist.
In the next figure we see the White Car crossing the 25-metre marker at timecode 00;18;56;03 and its right front tire is about 2.00 metres west of the concrete gutter. This is at a time when the cyclist is just north of the 15-metre marker. Thus the White Car is already moving back into the northbound lane when it is about 10 metres north of the cyclist’s location.
Next the figure below shows the Black Pick-up Truck crossing the 50-metre marker while its right front tire is 1.30 metres west of the concrete gutter.
The figure below shows how the rider of the e-bike is just crossing the 25-metre marker at timecode 00;18;57;32.
In the next figure we see the White Car passing the 50-metre marker when its right front tire is 1.30 metres west of the concrete gutter. This is at a time when the cyclist is just north of the 25-metre marker.
And in the final figure below we see the e-bike crossing the 50-metre marker at timecode 00;19;01;49
Just like in previous articles we can determine the speed of the various traffic units by considering the time as they pass the various markers.
So the speed of the Black Pick-up truck can be determined by noting its location at the Zero marker and at the 25-metre marker. This indicates that it travelled 25 metres in 2.15 seconds, or at 11.63 metres per second, or at 41.86 km/h. In the second half of the 50-metre observation zone it travelled from the 25-metre marker to the 50-metre marker in 1.97 seconds or 12.69 metres per second or 45.69 km/h. This truck moved from a lateral location of 2.60 metres west of the concrete gutter at the Zero marker then to 1.60 metres at the 25-metre marker and then to 1.30 metres at the 50-metre marker. This is consistent with it moving away from the cyclist while passing and then returning to the northbound lane once past the cyclist.
We can also assess the speed of the White Car, which travelled the first 25 metres in 2.00 seconds, or 12.5 metres per second or 45.00 km/h. It travelled the second half of the 50 metre distance in 1.97 seconds or 12.69 metres per second or 45.69 km/h. This car also performed a similar action as the Black Pick-up truck in terms of being at 2.50 metres west of the concrete gutter at the Zero marker, then reducing that lateral distance to 2.00 metres at the 25-metre marker and then reducing it lateral distance again to just 1.3 metres west of the concrete gutter at the 50 metre marker. This action indicates that the White Car steered wide of the cyclist as the driver passed, then returned to the northbound lane after passing the cyclist.
The speed of the e-bike can also be calculated. In the first 25 metres it travelled from the Zero marker to the 25-metre marker in 4.12 seconds, or 6.07 metres per second or 21.84 km/h. In the second half of the zone of observation the cyclist travelled the distance in 4.28 seconds or 5.84 metres per second or 21.03 km/h. This speed is not high and is lower than several of the instances where manually powered cycles passed through the area.
These motions were generated at a location where there was no cycling lane. And we know that the City of London will create a painted cycling lane in the near future. Thus it will be of research value to conduct additional observations of passing motions once the cycling lane is completed. This will create some useful data regarding how painted cycling lanes change passing motions, if in fact they do that.
You must be logged in to post a comment.