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General Road and Highway Discussion
(11-03-2022, 05:53 PM)dtkvictim Wrote:
(11-03-2022, 03:32 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: It is not the case that someone needs to be able to pull over everywhere, that is certainly not the case here (*most* residential two way streets cannot accommodate two way traffic along them, and drivers must pull aside into empty parking spaces or onto the sidewalk to pass each other).

I couldn't find any comparable situations jumping around on street view. Nearly all narrow streets I found in Utrecht were one way, while every two way road I found was wider, had edge lanes, parallel parking spaces, was a dead end, or had a mountable median or sidewalk.

The tight parts of Halls Lane does have stall parking, but I don't think the majority of our drivers could even pull into one of them.

The choke points of Halls Lane are pretty short in distance anyways, and the current free-for-all of it works well enough, so whatever. I just think it might fall apart if significantly more traffic is added to it.

For example here: https://www.google.com/maps/@52.1665243,...384!8i8192

The distance between the vehicles and the curb is about 4 meters, which is narrower than the narrowest section of Halls Ln and this is a two way road.

If there is two way traffic, usually vehicles must pull over, although sometimes...if both cars are very small, they'll just pass.

This is a fairly low traffic road, but it's not a tiny cul-de-sac or anything. I am not really sure how much traffic Charlie West will generate, but sans Charlie West, Halls Ln definitely carries less than this street.

(11-03-2022, 05:53 PM)dtkvictim Wrote:
(11-03-2022, 03:32 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I do realise in North America because of our different context, there's a much higher chance of getting two drivers who both refuse to pull in, who then come face to face and throw a tantrum about it.

Ironically, I think making it one way might actually make this less of an issue. People will still ignore it, but from my experience those driving the wrong way know they are in the wrong and yield/reverse out of the way.

Side note: I was surprised at the amount of (presumably) illegal parking I came across on Netherlands streetview, on grass medians, etc. I didn't expect that level of vehicular entitlement there, but I guess my perception was wrong? I'm used to the entitlement here though, as apparently my own parking space in Halls Lane with a No Parking sign is a community parking space just because it's usually empty. Every single event (BLM protests, Ribfest, Bluesfest, etc), I can guarantee someone had taken it. Or the construction company who had the gall to park their machinery there over night, including blocking my neighbour's garage, and then put up cones with warning tape (bonus: bylaw wouldn't do anything because the construction vehicle didn't have a license plate).

Yeah, lots of cars parked up the curb. I believe it's mostly legal parking. The Netherlands is great for biking, but definitely much less good for walking (although still far better than most of Canada). FWIW...drivers do block bike lanes and sidewalks, albeit less often than in Canada because well, frankly there's less need--and literally no other reason. But it's also less of an issue, because the roads are just generally safer.

Lol...yeah...I've probably told the story before but I had someone park in my space (that I fucking paid for) and our super told me to just park in visitor...and they ticketed me for it. I just paid it, but these days, I'd be far less polite about it. Frankly, if someone dumped an un-plated vehicle in on my property, I'd have the refuse removed from my property and sell it for scrap.
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(11-04-2022, 06:04 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Yeah, lots of cars parked up the curb. I believe it's mostly legal parking. The Netherlands is great for biking, but definitely much less good for walking (although still far better than most of Canada). FWIW...drivers do block bike lanes and sidewalks, albeit less often than in Canada because well, frankly there's less need--and literally no other reason. But it's also less of an issue, because the roads are just generally safer.

Is parking like this legal there? https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0619017,...384!8i8192

It's one of the first streets I dropped into, and it surprised me. Not terribly harmful I guess, but still surprised me. Not nearly as bad as what I often see in footage from the UK though, where it's seemingly normal to block the majority of a sidewalk while parking on narrow roads.
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(11-04-2022, 07:46 PM)dtkvictim Wrote:
(11-04-2022, 06:04 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Yeah, lots of cars parked up the curb. I believe it's mostly legal parking. The Netherlands is great for biking, but definitely much less good for walking (although still far better than most of Canada). FWIW...drivers do block bike lanes and sidewalks, albeit less often than in Canada because well, frankly there's less need--and literally no other reason. But it's also less of an issue, because the roads are just generally safer.

Is parking like this legal there? https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0619017,...384!8i8192

It's one of the first streets I dropped into, and it surprised me. Not terribly harmful I guess, but still surprised me. Not nearly as bad as what I often see in footage from the UK though, where it's seemingly normal to block the majority of a sidewalk while parking on narrow roads.

I cannot imagine that it isn't allowed, as it is extremely common. That being said, there are places where it is apparent that drivers are expected to park half up the curb (usually not blocking completely the sidewalk), but the curb is almost always hard surfaced. I've never seen it where people are expected to park up on grass. In other cases it appears to be a situation where "unusual parkers" (i.e., tradespeople, not residents nor visitors) park up the curb, and this I've seen on grass more than once (this for example, often happens on my street as there is no parking in front of our homes).

The Netherlands is not anti-car...by any measure. To the contrary, they have a high car ownership rate (although lower than the EU at large) and have many many roads, free parking, etc. I know a lot of people point out Copenhagen as the better learning experience for NA, but I think the Netherlands is pretty much the thing that NA planners don't want you to know about (or even admit to themselves), because it shows just how grossly incompetent they have been. I plan to write a piece about it soon.

FWIW...the Netherlands does far more to limit the harm that vehicles cause than EVs do--cars do not dominate the cities, they are reasonably restricted in places where it makes sense, and people have complete freedom NOT to own one, or to own one if they want...if it wasn't for climate change (and air pollution)...it might even be sustainable.
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To add to the Gaukel St speculation, No Entry signs were added to the pedestrian portion, I think in the last few days. I think this either suggests that the remainder of Gaukel St will be opened to through traffic, or that more permanent closure infrastructure is being installed on the pedestrian portion (previously the No Entry signs were on those movable wooden barricades).
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Anyone know if they're planning on finishing the Ottawa St (at King / Charles) reconstruction before the end of the year? From what I recall, asphalt plants shut down around mid november, and they've still got the whole King / Ottawa intersection dug up as well as between there and Charles. Would be a pain to have that detour in place until the spring
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I actually writing to my councilor to enquire. I am becoming concerned with exactly what you said. This is terrible planning and the contractors are taking way too long for 600 meters of roadway...
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I've seen paving done as late as mid December, so there's still likely time.
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(10-30-2022, 09:39 PM)taylortbb Wrote: Is straight through actually prohibited? I noticed the road paint shows only left and right turns, but my understanding is that's not legally binding. There would need to be a no straight through sign up, which I haven't seen (though also haven't looked closely). I was assuming it was just a paint error.

A bit off topic, but since the original discussion was here... There are indeed no straight through signs up now:

[Image: LCwZJ4U.jpg]
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Why is the straight-through bicycle lane green only in one direction? My initial thought was that the other direction didn’t have a must-turn for motor vehicles, but that’s not what the paint on the road on the far side of the intersection seems to be saying.
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(11-15-2022, 10:51 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: Why is the straight-through bicycle lane green only in one direction? My initial thought was that the other direction didn’t have a must-turn for motor vehicles, but that’s not what the paint on the road on the far side of the intersection seems to be saying.

(Perhaps an admin can this can be moved to the cycling thread if needed)

Because the cycle track, just behind me, is bidirectional (both directions on one side). So bicycles going straight south, the straight through that isn't green, are crossing the path of northbound motor traffic that must turn right or left and so they have to yield to motor traffic I think. Whereas for bicycles going straight northbound, both north and southbound motor traffic, which has to turn, will be crossing the path of the bicycles and must yield.

It's a garbage intersection, and a minority of people will understand how to use it (both cyclists and motorists). Heck, I'm not even 100% confident in what I've written.
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(11-15-2022, 11:20 PM)dtkvictim Wrote: Heck, I'm not even 100% confident in what I've written.

Thanks for the attempt. I’m looking forward to getting down there to see it in person.
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I can't wait for one cyclist to let hook another from that left turn box. I don't understand why it's painted in that location? I think that box should be rotated 90 degrees for a turn onto Ontario?

I was so excited for this cycling network but the implementation seems really awkward.
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So the idea with that left turn box is instead of just waiting for the green to make a standard left turn, you sit there and wait for another green to avoid crossing in front of the few cars and bikes that use Ontario street?
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(11-16-2022, 02:21 PM)clasher Wrote: So the idea with that left turn box is instead of just waiting for the green to make a standard left turn, you sit there and wait for another green to avoid crossing in front of the few cars and bikes that use Ontario street?

If that is the purpose I would never use it. If I were on my bike and turning left I would signal my turn and wait next to that well placed and sunken manhole cover.
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(11-16-2022, 02:50 PM)Chris Wrote:
(11-16-2022, 02:21 PM)clasher Wrote: So the idea with that left turn box is instead of just waiting for the green to make a standard left turn, you sit there and wait for another green to avoid crossing in front of the few cars and bikes that use Ontario street?

If that is the purpose I would never use it. If I were on my bike and turning left I would signal my turn and wait next to that well placed and sunken manhole cover.

yeah I plan on just doing a normal left at that intersection.
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