/
Cycling in Waterloo Region
|
Cycling in Waterloo Region
|
10-26-2016, 01:12 PM
(10-26-2016, 12:14 PM)Canard Wrote: (Edit: Sorry, I see she had injuries and contact was made. I was more questioning that in the case where there was not contact, how could someone be fined, unless observed by the police?) It sounds as though no one will be fined, even if observed by the police, based on the comments by the police officer in the article. 
10-26-2016, 03:41 PM
Isn't striking a cyclist with a car "common assault" (if not aggravated assault)?
10-26-2016, 04:44 PM
11-02-2016, 07:51 PM
And the award for least engaging public consultation ever, goes to, ...
MTO Discussion Paper on Cycling Initiatives under the Climate Change Action Plan The Iron Horse consultation is still not up on the Engage Kitchener site as was promised (but there is a new topic that might be of interest to some, "Residential Intensification in Established Neighbourhoods Study (RIENS)").
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
11-03-2016, 09:58 AM
(11-02-2016, 07:51 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: And the award for least engaging public consultation ever, goes to, ... The RIENS study is very interesting. It seems like it is intended to nominally allow for intensification, but in fact create a process that is so hostile to any change that none is in fact possible, and even were the hoops to be jumped through, the "intensification" is in fact no more intense than the existing neighbourhood, in fact even limiting it to be *less* intense in certain cases. It is a failure as currently proposed, and I encourage everyone to look and comment.
11-03-2016, 10:19 AM
Yes, that was my concern about the intensification study as well, like requiring buildings to be the average height of two neighboring buildings limits height to LESS than that of some surrounding buildings.
However, this seems like an off topic conversation, any way it can be moved to a new topic, where it can be discussed?
11-03-2016, 02:56 PM
The Engage survey is up about the Iron Horse Trail Improvement Implementation.
https://www.kitchener.ca/en/insidecityha..._democracy 
11-03-2016, 05:34 PM
Just used a "Bike Box" for the first time -Erb/Caroline. That was terrifying. Maybe it gets easier? I dunno. I'm gonna be an island-user here, for sure.
11-04-2016, 01:01 PM
(11-03-2016, 05:34 PM)Canard Wrote: Just used a "Bike Box" for the first time -Erb/Caroline. That was terrifying. Maybe it gets easier? I dunno. I'm gonna be an island-user here, for sure. Perhaps the next round of Regional traffic education can tell residents how to use a bike box (how long has is taken the Region to get the "how to use a roundabout" message to stick?). Given that I have never encountered a cyclist in a bike box (nor have I had an opportunity to use one as a cyclist), I just treat as a space that I can put my car in while waiting at a light. If there is anything else to do, either as a cyclist or a driver, I don't know what that is. 
11-04-2016, 01:33 PM
That bike box is terrible. By far the worst one in the region. It is an entirely inappropriate location for a bike box, and the design of the intersection encourages encroachment on the box by cars.
It scares me just looking at it, so I don't think you should consider yourself out of the ordinary, Canard.
11-04-2016, 01:37 PM
Maybe talk me through it... maybe I did something wrong. I was coming up the trail by the Mill, which ends on the sidewalk there where Bridgeport curves around. I hopped off my bike and was planing on walking down the sidewalk to the Clay and Glass gallery, then crossing in 3 stages (1 to the Island, 2 to Knox church, then across to the Uptown parking lot) before continuing along Erb toward the Laurel/Spur line Trail.
I saw a big break in traffic so I continued riding and went onto the road and was able to easily move over a lane to get into the little slot there where it's a designated bike lane. Just as I got to the bike box, I had intended to move to the left side of it (because I wanted to turn left) but just then the light went Green. I felt like this "pause" where everyone was like "...shit what do we do" (including me) and I saw oncoming traffic stall, nobody behind me went... it was just really uncomfortable. I made my left turn but in hindsight now I'm thinking... do I have to wait for traffic turning right which is coming North on Caroline? Because technically they have the Right of Way if I'm turning left. But then I'd be blocking straight-through traffic - unless I was over in the left side of the bike box arhghhghghghghghgh this is too confusing
11-04-2016, 03:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-04-2016, 04:03 PM by danbrotherston.)
(11-04-2016, 01:01 PM)nms Wrote: Perhaps the next round of Regional traffic education can tell residents how to use a bike box (how long has is taken the Region to get the "how to use a roundabout" message to stick?). Given that I have never encountered a cyclist in a bike box (nor have I had an opportunity to use one as a cyclist), I just treat as a space that I can put my car in while waiting at a light. If there is anything else to do, either as a cyclist or a driver, I don't know what that is. Just to clarify for all who may not know, a bike box is a place for cyclists to move into to take a safer position in front of traffic at a light, whether for merging, or for turning left or any other reason. It is in fact a space not to put your car in while waiting for a light, and drivers should stop before the bike box. (The line at the beginning of the bike box is in fact the stop line for the intersection). Cyclists can, upon reaching a red light at a bike box, move left in the box to the lane they wish to be in to leave the intersection. If they're making a left, this should be the left lane. The problem with bike boxes in my mind, is that they are designed around vehicular cycling. They only work for cyclists who are comfortable taking a lane, and riding in front of a line of traffic. Most cyclists are not comfortable with this, and worse, many drivers seem to not accept it either. I don't see bike boxes as helpful on our roads, for most cyclists. I do find them helpful for me, but I'm an exception. The bike box at Erb and Caroline is just a vestigial bike box, it exists from the era when planning for bike infrastructure didn't accommodate all cyclists. The trail planned for the side of bridgeport will be the real direction forward, sadly the intersection design does not reflect that right now, and won't for probably many decades. 
11-04-2016, 04:07 PM
Good. I was wondering exactly what a bike box was, and how it was used. Thanks for the explanation.
Can a vehicle enter the bike box if there is no cyclist in front of them using the bike box, or must they always stop before it?
11-04-2016, 04:19 PM
(11-04-2016, 04:07 PM)Elmira Guy Wrote: Can a vehicle enter the bike box if there is no cyclist in front of them using the bike box, or must they always stop before it? Nope. It's like nudging forward of a stop line at any controlled intersection: a moving violation. Here's a helpful video from the City of Guelph on how Bike Boxes work: |
|
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
|
