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If you're using the IHT, can you not temporarily use the Victoria Bowling parking lot?
(08-20-2020, 08:31 AM)kitborn Wrote: [ -> ]If you're using the IHT, can you not temporarily use the Victoria Bowling parking lot?

You can...if you aren't pushing a stroller or riding a cargo bike or using a walker or cane, and also don't mind using private property.

Which is to say, for most people, yes you can, but I can understand why the city would not approve that as a detour.

I walked past today and it looks like they only removed a small section of sidewalk, and while it still doesn't meet any AODA requirements, it is now actually open and possible to use.

It also shows that they are not moving the curb on the north side, the island absolutely will be tiny...

And if I can play fiscal conservative for a moment, I'm a little ticked off they are rebuilding the north side sidewalk, apron, and curb, if they aren't actually moving anything, what a waste!
(08-20-2020, 09:18 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]
(08-20-2020, 08:31 AM)kitborn Wrote: [ -> ]If you're using the IHT, can you not temporarily use the Victoria Bowling parking lot?

You can...if you aren't pushing a stroller or riding a cargo bike or using a walker or cane, and also don't mind using private property.

Which is to say, for most people, yes you can, but I can understand why the city would not approve that as a detour.

I walked past today and it looks like they only removed a small section of sidewalk, and while it still doesn't meet any AODA requirements, it is now actually open and possible to use.

It also shows that they are not moving the curb on the north side, the island absolutely will be tiny...

And if I can play fiscal conservative for a moment, I'm a little ticked off they are rebuilding the north side sidewalk, apron, and curb, if they aren't actually moving anything, what a waste!
That's very frustrating about not moving the curb. I really thought that was the only way to make the island somewhat useful.
(08-21-2020, 10:19 AM)Acitta Wrote: [ -> ]Another anticyclist screed. Waterloo region's recent bike lane boondoggle is frustrating

Fuck Farwell, I cannot understand why some people give him the time of day.

For a much more nuanced and thoughtful response, here is Melissa's thoughts on the twitter exchange.

http://www.melissabowmanward9.ca/blog/an...nteraction
Some more photos from the crossing.

They appear to have created 1-1.5 meters of space, you can see what the old bike lane looked like.

With the existing barely 1 meter of space we can expect a bare minimum below standard 2.4 meter island.

Of course lane widths continue to exceed standard width....

*sigh*....

As for rebuilding the apron on the other side...engineers appear to have needlessly inserted a jog in the trail, probably to make the crossing closer to 90 degrees...yet another design descision I disagree with.

Shame they refused to show me the design before...

And of course the curbs are not flush.

I knew this would be poorly designed...it fully meets my expectations...

[attachment=7260]

[attachment=7261]

[attachment=7262]
They have indeed met the lowest necessary expectations. We still have to see the island design...
(07-30-2020, 09:35 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: [ -> ]I like the additional lanes, but I worry that aspects of them that are likely related to the temporary implementation will make them appear worse for motor vehicle traffic than they are. Specifically, at many intersections there is now only a single lane for left turning, right turning, and straight through traffic. In many situations this will not work with even moderate traffic levels.

Please note I am not saying that we need to build as many lanes for motor vehicles as people will use, but it is reasonable to expect that intersection capacities will not be much lower than the capacities of the sections of road which connect the intersections.

An example which should have been done differently is Erb St. eastbound at Westmount where the bicycle lane begins. Right now the bollards begin just west of the intersection, eliminating the ability of straight through traffic to bypass right turning traffic. If the right lane was instead designated as a right turn lane and the bollards began immediately the other side of the intersection, this would work much better. But in other locations this simple fix wouldn’t work without breaking up the bike lane into disconnected and therefore more dangerous pieces.

A permanent installation would presumably not have these issues; the roads could be rebuilt as one motor vehicle lane in each direction with appropriate turn lanes, plus bicycle lanes (preferably segregated) in each direction. I’m concerned that some will see the existing implementation and just see it as a mess, and — “that’s what happens when you build bicycle lanes” — some of the support or at least acceptance of the change will be lost.
Erb and Westmount is a bloody disaster for exactly the reasons you mention. Both cycling and as a pedestrian, I have now had a dozen close-calls (and witnessed many others) at the eastbound temporary lane "bit" on the southwest side of the intersection.

Northbound Westmount drivers attempting a left onto Erb are so busy anticipating an opening that a northbound pedestrian either cannot cross or will nearly be hit halfway across. Every time I've been out, I've watched a car screech to a halt at the crosswalk and a swearing match ensue between startled drivers and scared pedestrians. 

Eastbound cyclists and pedestrians end up with right-turning drivers either whipping around the pylons onto Westmount, or worse, angling into the temporary lane and blasting the horn as they find a cyclist "blocking" them. This goes for both right-on-reds and green traffic signals.

What's a nightmare intersection to begin with has been exacerbated by the temporary lane design on the southwest corner!
Noticed a lot more cyclists using Westmount Rd these past few days, and all using the bike lane. I probably saw about 7 when driving from Blockline to Highland. I am seeing joggers on this stretch too, as well as mobility chairs. So good to see the uptick.
(08-23-2020, 11:31 PM)jeffster Wrote: [ -> ]Noticed a lot more cyclists using Westmount Rd these past few days, and all using the bike lane. I probably saw about 7 when driving from Blockline to Highland. I am seeing joggers on this stretch too, as well as mobility chairs.  So good to see the uptick.

That's great news.

I'm especially glad to see it is being used by everyone.

I've been walking a lot, and aside from disliking traffic, one of the reasons I desperately avoid busy roads is because social distancing is much more difficult when the road is unsafe to step into.
(08-23-2020, 11:31 PM)jeffster Wrote: [ -> ]Noticed a lot more cyclists using Westmount Rd these past few days, and all using the bike lane. I probably saw about 7 when driving from Blockline to Highland. I am seeing joggers on this stretch too, as well as mobility chairs.  So good to see the uptick.

FAKE NEWS!

But seriously, good to hear.
Yet another incident at the King St. subway. I drove through northbound. Police and ambulance were on site, bicycle sitting in the southbound lane, one older gentleman with his face covered in blood. I was concentrating on getting through safely and not causing more trouble so couldn’t look closely, but I got the impression it was south of the intersection with Moore and where the LRT tracks cross the motor vehicle lane. So I can’t tell if it was directly related to the tracks or something else gone wrong.
(08-25-2020, 11:07 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: [ -> ]Yet another incident at the King St. subway. I drove through northbound. Police and ambulance were on site, bicycle sitting in the southbound lane, one older gentleman with his face covered in blood. I was concentrating on getting through safely and not causing more trouble so couldn’t look closely, but I got the impression it was south of the intersection with Moore and where the LRT tracks cross the motor vehicle lane. So I can’t tell if it was directly related to the tracks or something else gone wrong.

Frankly, I've said it a few times but I strongly believe that the engineers who designed that should lose their licenses.
I see from this tweet from Grand River Transit that the Victoria Street MUT is coming along well.
(08-25-2020, 12:57 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]
(08-25-2020, 11:07 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: [ -> ]Yet another incident at the King St. subway. I drove through northbound. Police and ambulance were on site, bicycle sitting in the southbound lane, one older gentleman with his face covered in blood. I was concentrating on getting through safely and not causing more trouble so couldn’t look closely, but I got the impression it was south of the intersection with Moore and where the LRT tracks cross the motor vehicle lane. So I can’t tell if it was directly related to the tracks or something else gone wrong.

Frankly, I've said it a few times but I strongly believe that the engineers who designed that should lose their licenses.

Not sure if it's the engineers that are at fault. More or less the brain trust, or lack of, with government officials. What I would have liked was for the LRT to choseb 1 side of the street it was going to function on, either the centre, or in the right lane. Not both. Obviously this criss-crossing, especially at King and Moore is causing serious issues.

What I would like to know is if at some point if someone had asked the question: "How will this affect cyclists? Will it have a negative effect on them?" For some reason, I have to believe this question *was* asked, and brought up, but was ignored. It's like the hydro corridor beside Fairway Rd. How did that get missed? I know I brought it up with an MPP, but nothing came of that, clearly.