I came across those things last week and meant to go back and take a photo, so I'm glad someone else took the initiative before anyone was hurt. You can't see it in the photo, but they're installed in conjunction with the centre line bollards the region has been using for traffic calming in the warmer months. A car can sqeeze through the opening, but I immediately wondered about the safety impact on cyclists; not only are they hard to see, but they force cyclists to either swerve into the main lane or ride in the ditch. What were they thinking?!
(08-14-2019, 06:38 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: [ -> ]I came across those things last week and meant to go back and take a photo, so I'm glad someone else took the initiative before anyone was hurt. You can't see it in the photo, but they're installed in conjunction with the centre line bollards the region has been using for traffic calming in the warmer months. A car can sqeeze through the opening, but I immediately wondered about the safety impact on cyclists; not only are they hard to see, but they force cyclists to either swerve into the main lane or ride in the ditch. What were they thinking?!
As usual, they're not.
If they had proper bike lanes there, it would normally not be a problem (aside from the white on white lack of visibility). A lot of group rides leave from SJAM, though, and it's particularly hazardous in that context. It highlights the importance of public consultation.
This doesn't even address what I think is the biggest hazard in that location, namely traffic on Conservation at busy times of day. I've nearly been creamed multiple times by drivers either trying to turn onto Erbsville or cross Erbsville waiting for a break in traffic and then gunning it.
Speaking of contraflow bike lanes.
This week I saw a guy ride the bike lane on the wrong side of the Manitou Dr from Fairway and almost got hit head on twice as he passed the MEC driveway. I thought I was going to see a ghost.
I see this behaviour a lot. It seems many riders think if there is a bike lane on the road you can ride in any direction. I've had people come at me head on a few times in the lanes on Margaret.
I'm happy to see the contraflow proceeding downtown, I've wanted to see that implemented for years.
(08-15-2019, 10:50 AM)Chris Wrote: [ -> ]Speaking of contraflow bike lanes.
This week I saw a guy ride the bike lane on the wrong side of the Manitou Dr from Fairway and almost got hit head on twice as he passed the MEC driveway. I thought I was going to see a ghost.
I see this behaviour a lot. It seems many riders think if there is a bike lane on the road you can ride in any direction. I've had people come at me head on a few times in the lanes on Margaret.
I'm happy to see the contraflow proceeding downtown, I've wanted to see that implemented for years.
Yeah, a lot of people ride the wrong way in bike lanes. In some cases I think it's forgiveable (there aren't a lot of safe crossings on Manitou) others like Margaret, it's pretty annoying.
In my case I arrived in Waterloo from a rural area without bike lanes and thought that the bike lanes were for whichever direction. It wasn't until I was yelled at did I do the research to learn that, surprise surprise, a bike lane is a lane of traffic so of course you have to respect the direction on that side of the thoroughfare.
So I'm a little more sympathetic than most when it comes to these sorts of education failures.
The cyclists crossing against signals I have no patience for, though.
And I'm not sure about the lane splitters. I don't much like sitting fourth in line at an intersection when I know it's much safer if I'm the first one through at the light (especially for turning left), but I just can't bring myself to squeeze through.
(08-15-2019, 10:50 AM)Chris Wrote: [ -> ]Speaking of contraflow bike lanes.
This week I saw a guy ride the bike lane on the wrong side of the Manitou Dr from Fairway and almost got hit head on twice as he passed the MEC driveway. I thought I was going to see a ghost.
I see this behaviour a lot. It seems many riders think if there is a bike lane on the road you can ride in any direction. I've had people come at me head on a few times in the lanes on Margaret.
I'm happy to see the contraflow proceeding downtown, I've wanted to see that implemented for years.
I don’t understand this either. I once had somebody come right at me on University between Westmount and Keatsway, where the bike lane is between the straight through lane and the right turn lane onto Keatsway. In other words, he was right in the middle of traffic, in a location where people are expected to be changing lanes, riding against traffic. Utter lunacy, and (unusually) not of a sort that can be blamed on anybody but the rider.
(08-15-2019, 11:40 AM)chutten Wrote: [ -> ]In my case I arrived in Waterloo from a rural area without bike lanes and thought that the bike lanes were for whichever direction. It wasn't until I was yelled at did I do the research to learn that, surprise surprise, a bike lane is a lane of traffic so of course you have to respect the direction on that side of the thoroughfare.
So I'm a little more sympathetic than most when it comes to these sorts of education failures.
The cyclists crossing against signals I have no patience for, though.
And I'm not sure about the lane splitters. I don't much like sitting fourth in line at an intersection when I know it's much safer if I'm the first one through at the light (especially for turning left), but I just can't bring myself to squeeze through.
Lane splitting is a more complex thing, if it's on the right, it's almost certainly legal, if there's a bike lane, obviously it's fine, if there's a shoulder of any kind (a line before the curb) cyclists are allowed to use the shoulder, and if you're turning right, certainly moving forward on the right is acceptable, cars do this all the time.
But for all those cases I've had drivers get angry at me.
FYI
Sorry if this was mentioned before. I looked back in this thread but didn't find a reference to this article.
Laurier’s Waterloo campus joins new bike-share network in Waterloo Region
"Bike-share stations and bikes can be found at 1) Willison Hall and 2) Leupold Residence, 3) the Athletic Complex, 4) Mid-Campus Drive (off University Avenue), the 5) Science Building along Bricker Avenue and the 6) Schlegel Building. Bikes can be located, paid for, unlocked and secured at any of the project’s 100 bike-share stations across Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge"
I am having a heck of a time finding information about this bike share pilot. The WLU press release MacBerry just linked to provides a link to the company's web site, but I can not for the life of me find information about things like where the bikes are, or what the rates are.
(08-16-2019, 08:58 AM)MidTowner Wrote: [ -> ]I am having a heck of a time finding information about this bike share pilot. The WLU press release MacBerry just linked to provides a link to the company's web site, but I can not for the life of me find information about things like where the bikes are, or what the rates are.
The name of the company and their rates are in the link. You can install the app if you want to find bikes. They’re the orange ones you see around town.
You have to download the Drop Mobility app to see where the bikes are. I just used it for the first time yesterday...
The article says bikes are $1 an hour or $15 a month, but when I signed up yesterday the monthly rate was shown as $20. You can also do a nonrefundable prepayment of $10 (which comes with 1 free ride) or $20 (3 free rides) or pay-as-you-go for $1 a ride but this requires a (refundable) $50 deposit.
The bikes are clunky and slow but I had to travel one-way Uptown and I figured $1 was cheaper than paying full LRT fare to go 2 stops.
The app has really bad reviews, right?
Thanks goggolor! I had seen information on their site contradicting the rates that were in that Laurier press release, thanks for the fulsome info. Too bad there's no map of the hubs or service area available.