Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Acitta]

Why We Cycle, film screening and discussion

Description
The Netherlands is regarded as the best country on earth for cycling. But the Dutch rarely think about their country as a cycling paradise; they just get on their bikes and go about their daily business. The film Why We Cycle explores some of the obvious and not-so-obvious effects of cycling on people, communities and cities. Join us as we screen this insightful and thorugh-provoking film that brings together cutting edge scholarly research, with ordinary lived experiences of cycling and mobility.

In the panel discussion that follows that follows the film, we will explore the lessons, insights, challenges and possibilities for cycling here in Waterloo Region. Panel discussants include:
Jennifer Dean, Assistant Professor in the School of Planning, University of Waterloo
Emily Slofstra, CycleWR
Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services, City of Kitchener
Sarah Marsh, City Councillor, Ward 10, City of Kitchener
The panel will be moderated by Brian Doucet, Canada Research Chair in the School of Planning, University of Waterloo
More information about the film can be found here

[Acitta]

The MUT on Courtland from Mill to Hayward is paved.    

[Rainrider22]

The MUT on Courtland from Mill to Hayward is paved.

Thats great...

[KevinT]

The MUT on Courtland from Mill to Hayward is paved.

I did my first bike commute of the year, and took advantage of the opportunity to use this trail.  It's cramped under the Expressway bridge (maybe in future they can hang a boardwalk on the other side of the bridge supports to separate directions), but they did paint a guideline to ensure you don't misjudge the distance from the end of your handlebars to the supports so hopefully no one nicks one and finds themselves suddenly turned into the creek.  What sucks however is that when you get to Hayward, you're basically dumped out with nowhere to go.  Infrastructure fail #1.

Last year I did this same route and continued on Courtland to Manitou in a traffic lane, but for whatever reason my level of personal risk acceptance has changed this year and it just felt too crazy to attempt.  I turned right onto Hayward where the trail (fortunately!) continues, and a little after the tracks it appeared there was a trail through the Peter Hallman Ball Yard to continue southeast so I took it.  Unfortunately it doesn't go very far and you have to turn right over a creek bridge to get onto a trail on the opposite side that parallels Lennox Lewis Way.  It's a very narrow bridge however, and there was a flood of ball players coming from the Activa Sportsplex parking lot, so I had to wait a long while for a chance to cross it.  Infrastructure fail #2.

The trail continues under Block Line Rd as though it goes somewhere, and I had always wondered where so I was happy to take it.  For whatever reason however it just ends after ducking under Block Line.  There's a nearby catch pond access trail that runs up to Block Line, but they never saw fit to connect the two!  I had to push my bike up a tiny overgrown demand path that was quite steep.  Infrastructure fail #3.

I know the trail from Block Line to Shelley Dr is currently closed for no apparent good reason, so I took Fallowfield to Bleams instead to get back to the poorly roll-curb protected (although better than nothing) bike lanes on Manitou.

Does anyone know if there are plans in place to address this gap?  For those in the Doon Area, an MUT connector from Block Line to the Balzer Creek Trail and alongside the rail corridor to Bleams would be a godsend!  Another gap that really needs filling is Courtland from Hayward to Block Line...

[jamincan]

The MUT on Courtland from Mill to Hayward is paved.

Does anyone know if there are plans in place to address this gap?  For those in the Doon Area, an MUT connector from Block Line to the Balzer Creek Trail and alongside the rail corridor out to Bleams would be a godsend!  Another gap that really needs filling is Courtland from Hayward to Block Line...

This is one of those low-hanging fruits that could cheaply and quickly significantly improve the network connectivity of the trail system in the region. There are loads of spots like you mention where trails have short gaps that if connected would open up huge parts of the system. My big gripe is the gap in Lynnvalley Park, but at least there the desire path is strong enough that it's easily used as a trail. You have to think that the suggested trail along Balzer Creek has got to be in the cards as it is the key gap separating Conestoga College/Doon to the rest of the regional trail network.

Another important gap that they could address relatively easily is between the end of the trail in Concordia Park at Westmount and the hydro corridor trail system south of Ottawa. A roughed in trail already exists along the creek behind Mel's; they basically just need to finish it properly and add some crossing islands on Westmount and Ottawa. Critically, the alternative that people are forced to use now is on a busy road where traffic is moving quite fast.

[KevinL]

There are long-term plans to put a trail along the creek, extending it from where it ends at Manitou. It would be on the east bank from there to Balzer, use that road's bridge to cross, then the west bank to where you found the dead-end. Not sure when it will get actually built, though.

[KevinT]

There are long-term plans to put a trail along the creek, extending it from where it ends at Manitou. It would be on the east bank from there to Balzer, use that road's bridge to cross, then the west bank to where you found the dead-end. Not sure when it will get actually built, though.

Thanks, that's great to know!

[plam]

Oh, I also meant to post this here. Check out the stop signs across Montreal segregated bike lanes.

   

[goggolor]

EngageWR has a survey up for Kitchener's Cycling and Trails Master Plan: https://www.engagewr.ca/cycling-and-trails-master-plan

There's also a map where you can give feedback by dropping pins.

[danbrotherston]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/943...tm_content=

Pilot will involve 5 km of bike lanes separated from traffic using flex posts and small rubber curbs. Since this uses materials there are some limitations, buses will still use the bike lane to access bus stops, and intersections are not planned to be protected, but this is still a huge investment from the city, probably the biggest I've ever seen.

Queens Blvd. and Belmont Ave. will be going from 4 lanes to 3, which is a much safer configuration, which should also hopefully slow traffic to a reasonable speed.

[Section ThirtyOne]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/943...tm_content=

Pilot will involve 5 km of bike lanes separated from traffic using flex posts and small rubber curbs. Since this uses materials there are some limitations, buses will still use the bike lane to access bus stops, and intersections are not planned to be protected, but this is still a huge investment from the city, probably the biggest I've ever seen.

Queens Blvd. and Belmont Ave. will be going from 4 lanes to 3, which is a much safer configuration, which should also hopefully slow traffic to a reasonable speed.

While i'm definitely in favour of additional bike lanes, I can't help but wonder if there wasn't a better choice than Belmont Avenue for the pilot. It runs literally adjacent to the IHT after all...

[danbrotherston]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/943...tm_content=

Pilot will involve 5 km of bike lanes separated from traffic using flex posts and small rubber curbs. Since this uses materials there are some limitations, buses will still use the bike lane to access bus stops, and intersections are not planned to be protected, but this is still a huge investment from the city, probably the biggest I've ever seen.

Queens Blvd. and Belmont Ave. will be going from 4 lanes to 3, which is a much safer configuration, which should also hopefully slow traffic to a reasonable speed.

While i'm definitely in favour of additional bike lanes, I can't help but wonder if there wasn't a better choice than Belmont Avenue for the pilot. It runs literally adjacent to the IHT after all...

There are numerous reasons why Belmont was a good choice.

It doesn't actually run parallel to Belmont Ave., it runs diagonally away from it.  There would be no way to connect the Belmont Pilot to the IHT, and thus DTK and Uptown without including Belmont, as Queen St. is only 2 narrow lanes east of Highland where the IHT can be found.  Without this, a connected network would not be formed which is the cornerstone of making this work.

Second, the IHT is planned to be closed this summer and fall for water main work, and as a result will be unavailable. Belmont being a safe biking corridor provides a detour route for the thousands of trail users who will be displaced (one that should have existed last year mind you but better late than never).

Third, the choice of roads is opportunistic, Belmont is a huge wide and empty road, it has the space to easily and relatively uncontroversially convert it into a bike route, and at the same time massively improve safety by improving the road design.

This was a discussion we had at council, and while yes, if you look at the two blocks of Belmont between Glasgow and Victoria you may question the need, but it definitely was the right decision in my opinion.

[chutten]

Another factor might be that Belmont has destinations on it as well as serving as a throughway. Most of the segregated cycle infrastructure that I bike on is useful only for safely getting between one hole in the cycling network to another.

[Acitta]

Recently, a section of Highland Rd. was rebuilt. This section includes three strip malls, 4 grocery stores and lots of other businesses, yet no bike lanes were added in the process, even though it is a wide and heavily trafficked road. I would like to know why. Cyclists go where everybody else goes like grocery and other stores. Bicycle lanes should be built on the streets where the businesses are that cyclists patronize.

[danbrotherston]

Recently, a section of Highland Rd. was rebuilt. This section includes three strip malls, 4 grocery stores and lots of other businesses, yet no bike lanes were added in the process, even though it is a wide and heavily trafficked road. I would like to know why. Cyclists go where everybody else goes like grocery and other stores. Bicycle lanes should be built on the streets where the businesses are that cyclists patronize.

Highland is a Regional Rd., the region is very far behind on bike infra, the failure to put it here was a huge mistake, but unfortunately, not an uncommon one in the region.

If you're looking for the reason why that particular road was missed, locals near other projects have successfully fought the region to have some sense and actually build good bike lanes, I'll point out that the locals on that road are likely to be lower income than many other roads.  Frankly, it's shameful how badly that was handled, as even the pedestrian facilities are shit, and as you point out, it's a very important roads for non-drivers.