Cycling in Waterloo Region

[KevinL]

I agree that it's super confusing. This was designed very poorly. I'm just trying to interpret their intention.

[danbrotherston]

This is a truly terrible situation. I've complained before last year and was told it was temporary. I would like to bring it up again at WATAC to see if this is the final situation.

Can I use your photos?

[Canard]

Certainly! I’ll make a video if it would help. Real-time, showing the absurdity of the situation and what they’re asking a cyclist to do...

[Canard]

I decided to bike up and down King St. this morning.

   

   

   

When will it end?  How will the bad habits that have formed be reversed?  Will there be any enforcement at all, or is this the new norm we'll have to accept?

I also went up Glasgow to check out the bike lanes there.  Feel free to let the fine folks at 764 know what you think of their massive leaf pile which nearly blocks the bike lane in its entirety.

   

I may go back and "rectify" this...

[timc]

So let me get this straight.

The bike lane on King Street uptown is finished now?

And people are still parking on it?

And by-law enforcement is doing nothing about it?

[Canard]

There’s one section that’s totally finished, the first block just North of the tracks, and yes people are parking on it, with nothing being done about it.

(The next two blocks are finished except the bike path is dirt, that’s the only thing incomplete...)

I've reached out again to an open email chain I have going on with the project manager for months, for clarification on what's going to happen here. I would strongly encourage others to do the same: esaunderson@regionofwaterloo.ca

[KevinL]

Has the signage been updated? If it's still not marked as a bike lane then the city needs to get on that, stat.

[timc]

Yeah, I guess technically if there are no signs then it isn't officially a bike lane

[Canard]

IIRC there is no signage at all indicating it’s function. Good call.

How can we escalate this?

Should this not be the kind of thing the Tritag/CycleWR folks would be all over?

[GtwoK]

What happened to the terracotta red colour that was supposed to differentiate it? And shouldn't there be a lane marking down the center? That would help I'd think. Right now they literally look the exact same as the official street parking.

Also, could you legally call bylaw on those cars, now that they're officially bike lanes?

[danbrotherston]

As for signage they are marked "no parking" and bylaw is intentionally not enforcing it. I cannot understand how they are legally allowed to do that.

There is no center line marking as they are unidirectional just like any bike lane.

[darts]

So let me get this straight.

The bike lane on King Street uptown is finished now?

And people are still parking on it?

And by-law enforcement is doing nothing about it?

from the pictures there is one green parking sign and no no parking signs.

[Canard]

from the pictures there is one green parking sign and no no parking signs.

There is parking permitted in some areas on the NB side, and that's the green P you're talking about. The white car there is half in a parking spot, half on the bike lane. That's not permitted.

On the SB side, there is no parking permitted. The No Parking signs there are small, temporary, and on weighted bases, and have been moved off to the side (well, I moved one back - but I'm not going to tell you where I put it!).

[darts]

Looking at it, I can see them seeing it as street parking, kitchener has some odd looking parking downtown, it looks kind of similar like they tried to dress it up.

[plam]

Looking at it, I can see them seeing it as street parking, kitchener has some odd looking parking downtown, it looks kind of similar like they tried to dress it up.

It's also extra confusing that there is allowed parking (which does look different) on the other side of the street. My hope is that there will be enough bicycles in the lane to keep people out of it, but that might not be the best way of getting a clear bike lane. Towing and hard barriers are probably more effective.

Incidentally, King south of uptown seems more bikeable than it used to be, because it has much less car traffic. Really, the not-lanes could be bike lanes except at turn bays. In Switzerland they'd put that part of the bike lane on the sidewalk, but there are obstacles here, like say near Union.