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Cycling in Waterloo Region
I've been continuing to count cars in the Uptown bike lanes. I think the current status is that (1) occasionally a car doesn't get the memo about where the lane ends (especially near Princess, and somehow often a BMW) and (2) cars sometimes think that using the bike lane to drop off people is just fine. I yell at people about that sometimes. It's this thing where people need to be dropped off 2 steps from their destination.

(1) is annoying and shouldn't happen, but it's not as much of a danger as (2). There's also a pylon on the east side that helps with (1). For (2) the problem is that it's an intermittent danger that is hard to protect against (except by bollards!). Like, it's really hard to enforce "no stopping" as compared to "no parking"; by the time someone comes by (and even if they wanted to enforce), the infraction may no longer exist.
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(07-28-2018, 06:05 PM)plam Wrote: I've been continuing to count cars in the Uptown bike lanes. I think the current status is that (1) occasionally a car doesn't get the memo about where the lane ends (especially near Princess, and somehow often a BMW) and (2) cars sometimes think that using the bike lane to drop off people is just fine. I yell at people about that sometimes. It's this thing where people need to be dropped off 2 steps from their destination.

(1) is annoying and shouldn't happen, but it's not as much of a danger as (2). There's also a pylon on the east side that helps with (1). For (2) the problem is that it's an intermittent danger that is hard to protect against (except by bollards!). Like, it's really hard to enforce "no stopping" as compared to "no parking"; by the time someone comes by (and even if they wanted to enforce), the infraction may no longer exist.

Not to mention, but WRPS is explicit in their refusal to ticket people illegally blocking bike lanes who are "just delivering".

As for (1) it's a bigger issue than you think, because it means the space that was supposed to be a buffer from dooring is gone.  (1) would also have been fixed by curbs.  How often do you see a car parked a foot over a barrier curb.
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(07-28-2018, 08:47 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(07-28-2018, 06:05 PM)plam Wrote: I've been continuing to count cars in the Uptown bike lanes. I think the current status is that (1) occasionally a car doesn't get the memo about where the lane ends (especially near Princess, and somehow often a BMW) and (2) cars sometimes think that using the bike lane to drop off people is just fine. I yell at people about that sometimes. It's this thing where people need to be dropped off 2 steps from their destination.

(1) is annoying and shouldn't happen, but it's not as much of a danger as (2). There's also a pylon on the east side that helps with (1). For (2) the problem is that it's an intermittent danger that is hard to protect against (except by bollards!). Like, it's really hard to enforce "no stopping" as compared to "no parking"; by the time someone comes by (and even if they wanted to enforce), the infraction may no longer exist.

Not to mention, but WRPS is explicit in their refusal to ticket people illegally blocking bike lanes who are "just delivering".

As for (1) it's a bigger issue than you think, because it means the space that was supposed to be a buffer from dooring is gone.  (1) would also have been fixed by curbs.  How often do you see a car parked a foot over a barrier curb.

By (1) I mean exceeding the bike lane after it ends (north/south, closer to the intersection) rather than doing a bad job parking and being inside the lane (east/west). But yes, curbs would help with that as well.
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My most frequent issue is actually pedestrians at this point. They'll be walking down the lane at me, look down at a bicycle symbol (if they're lucky enough to be near one), then back up at me, and not move at all, forcing me to jump into traffic or pedestrians on the sidewalk. Frankly, this is an argument for a fully green bikeway, if pedestrians are making it a conflict zone (which is why intersections will be green), then the entirety should be green. Still also the issue of the parking spaces, where they start and end, cars will use that triangular portion for half their car, and the lane for the other half. That segment (which only serves to let a driver who doesn't know how to parallel park drive in or out more easily from the first or last spot) really needs something physical to stop cars from doing this, either a thin but high obstacle, which doesn't intrude into either the bike or the car space, or else put a bike corral in the parking lead-in, because no one should be parking there anyway.
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Yesterday, while heading back home from the Columbia Forest, I drove along Columbia for the first time since it’s been rebuilt.

What the heck is with the design here? Why are we seeing another new, different design? Why is there no consistency anywhere with bike lanes in the Region?

My impression was it’s a roll curb to what I guess is a bike lane? Then a big curb... then a MUT?!
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Columbia is a city of Waterloo St they likely have their own design guidelines.
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I don't think roll curbs will be as much of an issue on arterial streets like Columbia and University where on street parking is prohibited and lanes are wide. It's one situation where it might be a reasonable compromise to ease snow clearing.
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It being a city road, designs can differ, although King was also very city involved, I'm not sure if it is a city street for that section, but certainly, because of the streetscape, the city was involved.

The intention was (roll curb) protected bike lanes all the way along, with a MUT on one side, for part of the way, but I'm not sure which parts, it seems to cover the majority of the distance now.

I also thought the final design had only 2 lanes for a portion, but that seems to have been wrong as well.

What I am biting my tongue for to see it finished, is how the intersections (Erbsville, Fischer-Hallman, and the roundabout at Benjamin Gate) are designed. Right now, I cannot see how they could possibly work for cyclists, but I'm hoping that it just isn't finished yet. The roundabout especially seems to be finished, and quite awkward to use.
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Yeah, I think the roundabout is going to be weird. I'm not interested in going onto the sidewalk and across the pedestrian crossing, but reintegrating into road traffic from the separated bike lane looks like it will be tricky.
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(08-01-2018, 06:53 AM)jamincan Wrote: I don't think roll curbs will be as much of an issue on arterial streets like Columbia and University where on street parking is prohibited and lanes are wide. It's one situation where it might be a reasonable compromise to ease snow clearing.

I think the attitude of "well, it is better than nothing" or "it is better than what we had before" is part of the problem with not getting proper infrastructure. The community settles too easily for incremental progress. Do it right the first time.

We just got back from Montreal; it was my son's first visit there. We hadn't walked 500m after getting off the train and one of his first observations was the protected bike lanes (his second was the BIXI's) to which he said, "I'm thankful for our bike lanes at home, but if we had these lanes at home I would feel a lot safer and would ride everywhere!" If a child can get it, I don't know why the public and our leaders can't get it.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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A Kitchener cyclist just posted on Reddit about a pickup truck driver trying to run them off the road and then coming at them with a tire iron. They're waiting for a WRPS officer to take their statement.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchener/comme...attempted/
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(08-03-2018, 05:35 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: A Kitchener cyclist just posted on Reddit about a pickup truck driver trying to run them off the road and then coming at them with a tire iron. They're waiting for a WRPS officer to take their statement.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchener/comme...attempted/

Yikes!  That's only a block from my house.  I never had an experience that bad on strange street, but given it was a 40 km/h zone, with narrow lanes, I had plenty of vehicles pass me, then slow down and impede me (as I was speeding).

In better news, the City of Kitchener has a public consultation about trail improvements along Sydney and Bedford between the IHT and Courtland:

https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-service..._democracy

My thoughts:

The Bedford improvements would be just fine, but I think there are improvements that could be made on Sydney.  At an absolute minimum, roll curbs could be used instead of sloped aprons in order to make the trail level.
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Quote:Update:

Still waiting for visit from officer. Just called non-emergency again and was told they've been very busy today. Not sure if they will visit before I go to bed in a couple hours. Was told that I should call before I go to bed if they haven't visited, and they will visit me tomorrow.

I share the pessimism of some of the commenters here that anything will come of this. However I do feel an obligation to see it through and to push it as much as I can.
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As usual the police response is completely worthless.

Quote:Update 2:

Just got a visit from an officer.

He was very understanding, but emphasized that because there were no witnesses, and because the driver's behaviour did not meet the threshold of criminal behaviour (according to the officer's interpretation of my story), there is really nothing they can do. My understanding of what the officer told me: driving at me with his car is only dangerous driving, and because he didn't verbally threaten me or swing at me with the tire iron, there's no criminal behaviour there either.

Additionally, the truck is apparently registered to a business out of town (the officer did not say where or which business), and the officer said that he might have difficulty tracking down the driver to speak with him.

Again, the officer was very understanding, but I think mostly he was attempting to prepare me for the realization that nothing would or could be done.

Extremely frustrating. Did I need to get seriously hurt or killed in this situation for anything to happen to this guy?

But, while I wish that people like this weren't on the road, I am glad that I emerged from this encounter uninjured. Thanks everyone for the kind words and support, it really means a lot!
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(08-04-2018, 03:57 AM)Bob_McBob Wrote: As usual the police response is completely worthless.

Quote:Update 2:

Just got a visit from an officer.

He was very understanding, but emphasized that because there were no witnesses, and because the driver's behaviour did not meet the threshold of criminal behaviour (according to the officer's interpretation of my story), there is really nothing they can do. My understanding of what the officer told me: driving at me with his car is only dangerous driving, and because he didn't verbally threaten me or swing at me with the tire iron, there's no criminal behaviour there either.

Additionally, the truck is apparently registered to a business out of town (the officer did not say where or which business), and the officer said that he might have difficulty tracking down the driver to speak with him.

Again, the officer was very understanding, but I think mostly he was attempting to prepare me for the realization that nothing would or could be done.

Extremely frustrating. Did I need to get seriously hurt or killed in this situation for anything to happen to this guy?

But, while I wish that people like this weren't on the road, I am glad that I emerged from this encounter uninjured. Thanks everyone for the kind words and support, it really means a lot!

HI

With the limited knowledge of your statement, any act means or gestures, and especially with a weapon,(to wit: tire Iron) is a criminal offence.  This should have been a priority call. There should have been a full investigation for dangerous driving and assault with a weapon.  I recommend that you contact the Staff Sergeant of the division that the incident occurred in.  If you are still met with a speech that seems to want to cover for the officer, then elevate to the Superintendent of the division.

this call for service was not handled properly.   You had suspect information and I assume you had the plate of the vehicle. This requires follow up at a minimum of talking to other involved party.  

If you have any other questions message me in private off the board.
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