Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Bytor]

Social media anti-bike lane crowd doesn't believe those numbers.

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@bytor1970/video/...0789370118

Youtube Shorts https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cqWZmbAzu3E

[ac3r]

I was the one who stole the photo and made the thread in /r/waterloo just to annoy the anti-bike people. As usual, they're losing their mind over it and saying that it isn't accurate, counts pedestrians (even though it only has sensors in the road) and some blatantly can't read so they're saying "wow 1202 bikes all year? what a waste of money!" even though I specified it has only been active a short while. Since their minds are never going to change regarding bikes, it's just fun to troll them with this stuff.

[danbrotherston]

Social media anti-bike lane crowd doesn't believe those numbers.

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@bytor1970/video/...0789370118

Youtube Shorts https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cqWZmbAzu3E

Of course they don't.

But it was really 50/50 whether they'd decide that the numbers are fake, or that they numbers are actually very low.

The facts don't matter, the point is to create a narrative to justify their anger and hate.

[Acitta]

This cyclist counter will only count those cyclists using Water St., not those using only Joseph St. I think that I have used the lanes on Joseph more than I have used Water St. We need one on Joseph to get a better count.

[dtkvictim]

This cyclist counter will only count those cyclists using Water St., not those using only Joseph St. I think that I have used the lanes on Joseph more than I have used Water St. We need one on Joseph to get a better count.

From my completely unscientific observations, they both seem similar in popularity. I'm surprised though how few people transfer between the two, with most people I see continuing straight through the Joseph/Water intersection, meaning they are fairly distinct groups of users.

IMO the connections through Stewart St and Cherry park will make a huge difference.

[danbrotherston]

This cyclist counter will only count those cyclists using Water St., not those using only Joseph St. I think that I have used the lanes on Joseph more than I have used Water St. We need one on Joseph to get a better count.

From my completely unscientific observations, they both seem similar in popularity. I'm surprised though how few people transfer between the two, with most people I see continuing straight through the Joseph/Water intersection, meaning they are fairly distinct groups of users.

IMO the connections through Stewart St and Cherry park will make a huge difference.

Yeah, I wonder about that decision, but it will matter much more when connections are completed (Stewart and Cherry, but also Duke...I guess I should say "IF" connections are completed...)

[tomh009]

From my completely unscientific observations, they both seem similar in popularity. I'm surprised though how few people transfer between the two, with most people I see continuing straight through the Joseph/Water intersection, meaning they are fairly distinct groups of users.

IMO the connections through Stewart St and Cherry park will make a huge difference.

Yeah, I wonder about that decision, but it will matter much more when connections are completed (Stewart and Cherry, but also Duke...I guess I should say "IF" connections are completed...)

Is there some doubt about the grid plans being cut back? I see that Cedar St is well on its way, so there is no obvious slowdown to an external observer.

[danbrotherston]

Yeah, I wonder about that decision, but it will matter much more when connections are completed (Stewart and Cherry, but also Duke...I guess I should say "IF" connections are completed...)

Is there some doubt about the grid plans being cut back? I see that Cedar St is well on its way, so there is no obvious slowdown to an external observer.

Duke St. being regional is subject to the whims of the region's planners. Their proposed plans, in my opinion, do not qualify as connected protected/all ages and abilities infrastructure. I would consider their proposal to be not a connection.

And...it doesn't end there, it seems probable that Ontario St. could also get cut, given the...disappointing...pushback from the merchants on that street, if Duke St. doesn't get built, my money is on Ontario St. also getting the "pretend infra" treatment.

And, way back to the beginning, Water St. already got compromised, by removing the traffic diversion at Jubilee Dr.

[tomh009]

Is there some doubt about the grid plans being cut back? I see that Cedar St is well on its way, so there is no obvious slowdown to an external observer.

Duke St. being regional is subject to the whims of the region's planners. Their proposed plans, in my opinion, do not qualify as connected protected/all ages and abilities infrastructure. I would consider their proposal to be not a connection.

And...it doesn't end there, it seems probable that Ontario St. could also get cut, given the...disappointing...pushback from the merchants on that street, if Duke St. doesn't get built, my money is on Ontario St. also getting the "pretend infra" treatment.

Ontario St between King and Duke (because it's already done from Joseph to King)? I think there are only, what, four merchants on that block?

[danbrotherston]

Duke St. being regional is subject to the whims of the region's planners. Their proposed plans, in my opinion, do not qualify as connected protected/all ages and abilities infrastructure. I would consider their proposal to be not a connection.

And...it doesn't end there, it seems probable that Ontario St. could also get cut, given the...disappointing...pushback from the merchants on that street, if Duke St. doesn't get built, my money is on Ontario St. also getting the "pretend infra" treatment.

Ontario St between King and Duke (because it's already done from Joseph to King)? I think there are only, what, four merchants on that block?

Yes, they came to the council meeting and spoke in no uncertain terms that they felt that a bike lane on that section was entirely unacceptable to their businesses, and that the loss of parking would be the end of their business.

And I say *disappointing* because it was actually the owner of Legacy Greens who spoke at the meeting. She expressed that she disagreed with the downtown grid as a whole, but felt that only Ontario was existential for her.

I have not been back to her business since and won't be back, and I will tell anyone who asks why I no longer shop there...it's quite the spit in the face given how I and MANY of her customers get to her business.

But I digress...yes, it's only 4 merchants...it just reveals how unequal different voices are treated in council. Literally dozens of cyclists came to speak and HUNDREDS wrote in, but four merchants and one cantankerous Tesla driver on Joseph St. and we have parts of the downtown grid being cancelled left right and centre.

The Water St. diversion was outright cancelled, Ontario St. is merely deferred in response to the objection, but I think it's very likely to be cancelled and I'd say it's almost a certainty if the region gets it's way on Duke.

[cherrypark]

Is there some doubt about the grid plans being cut back? I see that Cedar St is well on its way, so there is no obvious slowdown to an external observer.

Duke St. being regional is subject to the whims of the region's planners. Their proposed plans, in my opinion, do not qualify as connected protected/all ages and abilities infrastructure. I would consider their proposal to be not a connection.

And...it doesn't end there, it seems probable that Ontario St. could also get cut, given the...disappointing...pushback from the merchants on that street, if Duke St. doesn't get built, my money is on Ontario St. also getting the "pretend infra" treatment.

And, way back to the beginning, Water St. already got compromised, by removing the traffic diversion at Jubilee Dr.

On the other hand, I did see that some of the non-through street filtering road furniture was U/C in Central Frederick. I don't ride in that area enough to know if its going to be a big change, but at least all of those didn't get nixed.

[danbrotherston]

Duke St. being regional is subject to the whims of the region's planners. Their proposed plans, in my opinion, do not qualify as connected protected/all ages and abilities infrastructure. I would consider their proposal to be not a connection.

And...it doesn't end there, it seems probable that Ontario St. could also get cut, given the...disappointing...pushback from the merchants on that street, if Duke St. doesn't get built, my money is on Ontario St. also getting the "pretend infra" treatment.

And, way back to the beginning, Water St. already got compromised, by removing the traffic diversion at Jubilee Dr.

On the other hand, I did see that some of the non-through street filtering road furniture was U/C in Central Frederick. I don't ride in that area enough to know if its going to be a big change, but at least all of those didn't get nixed.

Yeah, I was happy about that as well. I think it will make some difference, although those areas already had limited through traffic. I suspect what it will do is prevent the changes to Lancaster causing an increase in cut-through traffic, so if all goes to plan, there will be no change--which is just so useful for convincing people something is a good idea.

I get the general feels that Central Frederick is a more progressive community than Victoria Park. This could just be my biases and perception and not be reflective of reality but it could also be related to the fact that Victoria Park is one of those things that people kinda say rather than "Downtown" i.e., more progressive folks just say they life "downtown". But I'm just speculating here.

[Spokes]

The traffic counter in general seems a bit odd since it only counts on one street. Sure it gives us some information but only a fraction of the whole picture

[danbrotherston]

The traffic counter in general seems a bit odd since it only counts on one street. Sure it gives us some information but only a fraction of the whole picture

I mean, that's how traffic counts work, but it's difficult when it comes to a bike network.

FWIW....this is a major limitation of traffic planning in general.

I think traffic counts are mostly useful to validate models. You build a transportation model, use it to estimate traffic volumes, then see if it lines up with traffic at several points, and if it does your model MIGHT be good. You can then do things in the model and see how it affects traffic and then you have some inkling that you might understand a bit about how your change will change traffic.

But usually, it's the reverse, traffic counts are the input into the model. I.e., "traffic counts are x, our model says traffic counts that start at x will be y in 10 years...ergo we need to build this road in order to handle y".

[tomh009]

We could organize a group ride, doing laps of that block?