Cycling in Waterloo Region

[ijmorlan]

I bike along here very often so I'm happy to see this design improvement.

Agreed, much improved.

I'm curious to see if people still park in front of Mei King now that it's a traffic lane and not a bike lane.

I think you mean “motor vehicle lane and not a bike lane”!

But I don’t blame you — I regularly catch myself doing the same thing.

[dtkvictim]

Agreed, much improved.

I'm curious to see if people still park in front of Mei King now that it's a traffic lane and not a bike lane.

I think you mean “motor vehicle lane and not a bike lane”!

But I don’t blame you — I regularly catch myself doing the same thing.

If you read "traffic lane" as "congestion lane" it's not entirely wrong!

[danbrotherston]

While only the owner of Legacy Greens came to the meeting and spoke, she claimed to be in communication with and representing the interests of the other businesses on the street including the coffee shop (which appears closed now, and I cannot even find their actual name) and adventures guild.

I don't recall hearing any input from Two Goblets either way.

I'm curious which of those would be a surprise? To me, the coffee shop makes sense, they probably have lots of people stopping for a short time, so prioritizing parking would make sense. Adventures Guild and the restaurant would be more surprising because the parking would be less important for them, but ultimately, opposition to bike lanes shouldn't surprise anyone at all.......

EXCEPT for opposition from Legacy Greens, because...well that business should ostensibly be friendly to environmental issues like cycling. I've said it before, it was hurtful personally for the proprietor there to oppose the bike lanes, and I certainly stopped going to that business because of it.

Two Goblets has closed, and the coffee shop moved/expanded into that space under the name Lucero Canteen, just FYI.

The coffee shop and Adventurers Guild are actually the ones that surprise me. They aren't, to greatly oversimplify, "boomer businesses". I would expect the opposition much more from the framing shop or the medical offices. To me, a coffee shop like Lucero/Show and Tell is a stereotypically urban business that depends on foot traffic, not people driving in to grab a coffee. There is also a lot of overlap between urban cycling enthusiasts and people who care to go to third wave coffee shops. I can't really put into words why Adventurers Guild surprises me but I guess as I reflect on it, board games are a pretty middle class suburban hobby. Every single person I know who goes there lives in the suburbs and drives in.

Legacy Greens doesn't surprise me though; people interested in healthy/organic/local products tend to have complete insane motivations just as often as having what I would consider genuine reasons (like some sort of environmentalism). I don't know anything about the owner, but I'm sure she at least understands who her customers are.

Awe, I didn't know Two Goblets had closed.

I do agree that they're not "boomer" businesses, but they're also still businesses. They'll do what they think helps their business and oppose anything that they think will hurt their business. I can certainly see how a coffee shop would think losing parking out front would hurt their business. They're also just people (who own the businesses) and often more conservative people, who already are likely to oppose bike lanes.

And FWIW, like I said, ONLY the proprietor of Legacy Greens showed up, so we have only her claim that she was representing the other businesses. I don't know whether it was an enthusiastic "yeah, this is terrible, please go oppose it in council for us" or a "okay sure Jordan, you seem passionate about this" kinda thing.

As for legacy greens, I mean, yes, fake progressivism is very common (looks directly at Clr Chapman) in our region and abroad. Frankly, fake progressivism might be equally as harmful as conservatism to progressivist goals. They're probably less diametrically opposed, but at least we know who our enemy is with conservatives.

[dtkvictim]

I do agree that they're not "boomer" businesses, but they're also still businesses. They'll do what they think helps their business and oppose anything that they think will hurt their business. I can certainly see how a coffee shop would think losing parking out front would hurt their business. They're also just people (who own the businesses) and often more conservative people, who already are likely to oppose bike lanes.

There is a, obviously not universal, generation divide on this topic. So I expect younger proprietors to be less likely to be opposed. I do think "conservative", applied specifically to the topic of their business, is an understandable position though. Many of these small businesses could financially disappear virtually overnight, and have no interest in interrupting the status quo that is currently working for them and providing their livelihood. I don't really blame them for expressing that position, it's the decision makers who the blame lands on.

As for legacy greens, I mean, yes, fake progressivism is very common (looks directly at Clr Chapman) in our region and abroad. Frankly, fake progressivism might be equally as harmful as conservatism to progressivist goals. They're probably less diametrically opposed, but at least we know who our enemy is with conservatives.

I don't even know if I would call what I was referring to as "fake progressivism", but it is definitely a portion of it. There is also (to use a stereotype as an example) the "SUV driving, anti-vax, alternative medicine, essential oil, suburban mom"-types of people who are also attracted to a business like Legacy Greens. I've known a few of them myself. And honestly they defy progressive/conservative/etc labels and buckets.

[dtkvictim]

I hadn't ever really biked on Margaret/Breithaupt to the spur line, so I decided to check it out. The new bike lanes look great (I saw 4 other people use it while I was there for just a minute), assuming they will eventually get a barrier installed. As I turned on to Margaret I saw a driver honk at the car in front of him that was turning left onto Breithaupt northbound, apparently too slow for his liking - the exact type of person I expect to swerve into painted bike lanes to go around "traffic". No cars parked at Mei King when I checked though!

1) Here is a photo of the Wellington St intersection. I think the crossover maneuver is a little concerning, if a bicycle arrives at a red light (perpendicular green), I assume they have immediate priority to turn right for the first half of their two stage turn. I think this would be pretty unexpected for any vehicles turning from Wellington to Margaret.



2) The spur line tracks on Breithaupt are not pleasant with 16" road tires!



3) Would you believe the pedestrian crossing light across Weber St has a button you need to press for the lights to change?



4) Unrelated to the above, but still no sign of utility relocation on Joseph St and Stewart St. However, one of two poles from the Park St pedestrian crossing has gone missing. So the button the activate the lights is gone, as are half of the lights. Predictably, about 10 cars passed without stopping for me, at which point I just crossed at a gap in traffic.

[danbrotherston]

I do agree that they're not "boomer" businesses, but they're also still businesses. They'll do what they think helps their business and oppose anything that they think will hurt their business. I can certainly see how a coffee shop would think losing parking out front would hurt their business. They're also just people (who own the businesses) and often more conservative people, who already are likely to oppose bike lanes.

There is a, obviously not universal, generation divide on this topic. So I expect younger proprietors to be less likely to be opposed. I do think "conservative", applied specifically to the topic of their business, is an understandable position though. Many of these small businesses could financially disappear virtually overnight, and have no interest in interrupting the status quo that is currently working for them and providing their livelihood. I don't really blame them for expressing that position, it's the decision makers who the blame lands on.

I mean, this is getting far into the weeds, but I think the data shows that business owners are far more likely to be conservative than the general population. I don't know whether this trend is stronger than the trend of younger people being less conservative.

The ironic thing is that small businesses are more flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances so you can imagine just how conservative large businesses are.

As for legacy greens, I mean, yes, fake progressivism is very common (looks directly at Clr Chapman) in our region and abroad. Frankly, fake progressivism might be equally as harmful as conservatism to progressivist goals. They're probably less diametrically opposed, but at least we know who our enemy is with conservatives.

I don't even know if I would call what I was referring to as "fake progressivism", but it is definitely a portion of it. There is also (to use a stereotype as an example) the "SUV driving, anti-vax, alternative medicine, essential oil, suburban mom"-types of people who are also attracted to a business like Legacy Greens. I've known a few of them myself. And honestly they defy progressive/conservative/etc labels and buckets.

I mean, I'm going to call anyone who claims to have certain progressive or left values (environmentalism, housing, etc.) but who even in the face of insurmountable data on the topic, fights against those values "fake progressives". But you're right that Legacy Greens could be less "environmentalist" and more "anti-establishmentist/prepperist" (forgive the abuse of notation). *sigh*...the world is complicated, I can see why some people prefer live as if that were not the case.

[danbrotherston]

Re the photos of Margaret, here's what the Netherlands does:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hoevel...?entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.1628372,...?entry=ttu

In both cases it really doesn't matter much, this road is traffic calmed and drivers are redirected OFF this road before the crossing. I think the one in Waterloo will have much more challenges, but it needs more space to solve right, but at a minimum it should probably have been forward of the crosswalk.

That being said, it's not a busy road, and cyclists know to watch for distracted drivers, so I don't think there will be any actual issues, but it is surprising because engineers usually refuse to do anything that could possible make them liable. Of course, drivers will continue to complain about cyclists, because it doesn't matter what cyclists do.

Also, yeah the button on that pole has pissed me off for a long time. It shows just how little everyone thinks about the experience of cyclists. Virtually every traffic signal in the Netherlands has a separate pole for the button for crossing, like, literally there are probably a dozen poles for every crossing segment, one for the ped signal, one for the ped button, one for the bike signal, one for the bike button, and then reflected on the reverse side. And this is for every single leg of an intersection. So much care and attention is put into these things....

[cherrypark]

Utilities on Joesph are mostly moved over so here's hoping that Stewart St is next. Would be interested to know when the Google garage will be opening up so you can use that way through. It has some funky LED light strips and paint now, so looking to be close...

[KevinL]

The way past the Google garage is open, I believe, so if you're willing to ride on the roadway on Stewart you can get through.

[dtkvictim]

The way past the Google garage is open, I believe, so if you're willing to ride on the roadway on Stewart you can get through.

I've seen the gates open during construction hours, which might be what you saw. But I think they are still closed otherwise. I went right up to the fence on Stewart yesterday evening and it was 100% blocked.

The garage does look very close to opening though.

Utilities on Joesph are mostly moved over so here's hoping that Stewart St is next. Would be interested to know when the Google garage will be opening up so you can use that way through. It has some funky LED light strips and paint now, so looking to be close...

Hmm, I must have missed that some relocation had started. I just saw a ton of poles still remained in the MUT, and assumed nothing had been moved yet.

[bravado]

On the other side of the spectrum, cyclists being sent to hospital in serious condition in Cambridge isn't even in the headline, traffic is:

'Serious' crash between cyclist and vehicle ties up traffic on Fountain Street in Cambridge
https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news/serio...05840.html

1. Traffic is most affected, obviously
2. Someone should tell Toyota that these Lexuses, not drivers, are randomly turning left into oncoming cyclists
3. Thankfully the driver wasn't injured, close call

[Bytor]

There is also (to use a stereotype as an example) the "SUV driving, anti-vax, alternative medicine, essential oil, suburban mom"-types of people who are also attracted to a business like Legacy Greens. I've known a few of them myself. And honestly they defy progressive/conservative/etc labels and buckets.

They are conservatives.

1. They want fewer regulations to impede their use of alt-med woo, or to impede their pushing it on others
2. They want fewer business regulations to impede MLMs, which they are often part of
3. These same moms are also very often TERFs complaining their kids shouldn't be exposed to any gender topics at school because that's their responsibility, opposing preferred pronouns, etc…
4. They are usually stay at home moms, claiming it is out of choice because a mom is supposed to raise the kids, not because they couldn't afford child care and the higher-salaried parent stayed working

These are all classic financial- and social-conservative positions.

[dtkvictim]

I don't understand these bags at all. They left them on for both Ontario and Gaukel, when both are to be permanently closed for cars (well, Ontario only in one direction). At best they are just confusing ... why not simply remove them?

I emailed Darren Kropf about the Ontario St lights, and he said he has forwarded it to the Region for an update, as the lights are their responsibility. He said "signal upgrades" so presumably the old lights are supposed to come out, and a new bicycle light should go in? I guess bureaucracy doesn't provide an option for using the existing lights in the meantime...

I assume something similar is happening at Gaukel, since the street hasn't been permanently reconstructed. It's still "temporarily" closed.

I heard back from the Region via Darren on this. They are apparently needing to test the signal controller to ensure there is no interference with LRT operations, and the Ontario St lights should be upgraded in "the coming weeks". Perhaps this is their excuse for having not done anything with Gaukel St as well, though I don't really think it provides any explanation for bagging the signals.

I don't like to question the expertise of people in a field I know almost nothing about, but this response smells like BS to me.

1. These signals behave exactly the same as the existing standard signals they are replacing/augmenting, with no special timing (though perhaps new capabilities they aren't using are being integrated and tested)
   
2. They have already installed these bicycle signals at another intersection crossing LRT tracks (Water & Duke)
   
3. If it takes week or perhaps months to test a single intersection, something is seriously wrong with the organizational processes and technology
   

Or am I missing some validity to this response?

[dtkvictim]

Luisa D'Amato has outdone herself this time: Those empty cycling lanes in downtown Kitchener are a sign of the city’s long game

[bravado]

Luisa D'Amato has outdone herself this time: Those empty cycling lanes in downtown Kitchener are a sign of the city’s long game

Paywall link: https://archive.is/ZqPOK

Jesus what a trash headline. Cynicism everywhere! The article (rant) starts awful and almost redeems itself by the end, but you know nobody reads the whole thing anymore.