Cycling in Waterloo Region

[danbrotherston]

They are building a protected bike lane along Queen from Joseph to Church. The plan I saw showed the bike lane on the south east side of the street (opposite Joseph), and while I had hoped there was room to build it in the existing space, given the retaining wall blocks, I assume they are going to have to move the retaining wall in front of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4482062,...384!8i8192

They might also need to add one next to Primerica.

But to be clear, I am only speculating here.

If that is what it is for, that's never going to get done this fall. Those pallettes have been blocking the bike lane for too long already.

Motorists would never be disrespected like that.

Lol, no argument here.

I don't know what the construction schedule is going to be, I know they were supposed to do it this year, they may not. But they also might be able to, or maybe move the wall this year.

I believe the biggest delays have been (and in general are) to do with co-ordination between crews. The region and hydro spent a lot of time faffing about at Water St. which delayed things. Ultimately, the work that Steed and Evans (the primary contractor) is doing isn't that time consuming. Water St. has been done in just a few weeks, and they haven't exactly been focused there.

As an aside, Water and Joseph SHOULD have been a stop sign. Now, I fully disagree with our regional planners and engineers about a lot of things, and it was there call that the signal (at massive cost, like 100k) has to be reinstalled.

But a significant factor in that signal installation is the NIMBYism from the residents of the Vic Park neighbourhood who killed the dead ending of Water St. Because Water remains a through street, it carries enough traffic that the Region insists on a traffic signal.

Frankly I am sick and tired of the NIMBYs there. My new Park/Victoria master plan, is to close Jubilee through the park, but since we've already made such massive investments in Water St., we can remove all the parking, extend the bike lane to Jubilee, and then end Jubilee AT Water and redirect all the Park St. traffic down Water to Charles. That should also eliminate enough traffic from Victoria to make a 3 lane conversion feasible there.

I think this is a good plan on it's merits, and also yes, it is a vindictive plan to punish those who have fought tooth and nail to make our community worse.