Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Viewfromthe42]

In that Separated Bike Lane image, I like that we love the green of trees, but would hate to have the lane itself be green and therefore distinguishable for drivers as a no-go zone. Also disappointed that they put a lycra-clad, helmet-wearing, tour bike riding person in the lane. This is not the likeliest demographic of this lane, and certainly not the demographic that needs encouragement to use bike infrastructure.

[jamincan]

It's probably the only cyclist the 3D program they used has.

[danbrotherston]

How do people here generally respond to drivers illegally yielding at crossings?

This has been becoming a bigger issue for me, there are several crossings on the Spur Line which I now ride daily, where drivers routinely try to yield and cause me and others delays, and create dangerous situations, as I've observed numerous times drivers in others lanes or even behind the yielding drivers proceed through the intersection.

But this is often costing me 2-3 today even 5 minutes of delay on my ride....

I'm at my wits end here. Should I print out pages explaining very clearly why yielding is a bad idea and give it to all the drivers kind enough to stop and create a dangerous situation for everyone?

I know we've been lobbying the city for a crossing policy which is less pessimal, but that doesn't seem to be a avenue likely to yield any solutions.

[Canard]

2 years ago when I started cycling again as an adult, I was riding the Spur Line Trail and stopped just South of UpTown Waterloo, near that big church. Anyway, a car stopped, and waved me through. Oncoming traffic did not stop. Cars lined up behind her. Someone honked. I waved her through, and she kept shaking her head and waving ME through. I finally yelled "GO! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!" and she threw up her arms, revved the engine and took off all pissy.

Since then, I've thought a lot about this, and like you am trying to figure out what the best way to deal with it is.

If I'm approaching a crossing, and I can see a car coming, I judge its velocity. If I predict that it might see me and attempt to slow down, I slow down first and try to "hide" from the car, so they don't even have a chance to decelerate. Then I can speed up a little again, and have thus continued moving with little to no delay.

If I'm approaching a crossing and I can see a car coming and notice them decelerating, as if they might stop, I know there's no point in me doing the above, so I just come to the stop sign and stop, hoping they'll accelerate again, and only be mildly annoyed that they caused me to stop and delayed me longer than if they'd just continued at speed.

If I get to a crossing and the car stops, I stop too (so they get the idea) and wave them on. Sometimes they wave back, and then go, and we've both wasted a lot of energy.

If I do the above, and they still insist I go... I usually go. I've given up on trying to give "lessons", and I hate doing this (because it re-enforces the dangerous behavior), but I don't really feel like wasting 20 seconds of my life every time this happens (much the same as what you're experiencing as well, I take it).

I will say this: I absolutely cannot stand the drivers who, when seeing someone coming down the trail, will slow down... craaaaaaaaaaawl through the crossing at like 5 km/h, then speed back up (usually quite loudly). As a bonus, they'll typically turn their head and stare straight at me while doing it... while I stand there, and wait for them to continue through. It is absolutely the pinnacle of inefficiency. They've delayed themselves, wasted fuel, brake pads, and my time and energy.

[ijmorlan]

Since then, I've thought a lot about this, and like you am trying to figure out what the best way to deal with it is.

I like your thinking on this. I have been known to stop and pull out my cellphone and look at it. Works pretty well for bicycling and for walking.

It’s still a bit ridiculous but people seem to understand that I have no intention of crossing in the next few seconds so they continue on.

[clasher]

Thanks for the heads-up on the bridge situation! I have been meaning to check out the Homer Watson park for some time anyway but it's nice to know I can probably take my road bike down Old Mill, it's really my favourite way south.

A couple of times I've had "nice" drivers stop one lane of traffic for me I've turned around and made like I'm going back the way I came... but like many other solutions it's a bit of a time-waster. Sometimes when it's beneficial to me and safe I just go. I also don't really care all that much anymore; riding in the city is going to entail delays of some kind, be it stop lights or trail congestion, I can't be bothered by a few minutes here or there, it's still nicer on a bike than in my car. In a way I'm kind of glad that people are "seeing" cyclists and looking out for us, even if it might not make perfect sense.

[Canard]

I like your thinking on this. I have been known to stop and pull out my cellphone and look at it. Works pretty well for bicycling and for walking.

It’s still a bit ridiculous but people seem to understand that I have no intention of crossing in the next few seconds so they continue on.

Nono, that's not ridiculous at all, I do that too! I totally forgot about that, and I actually do that all the time - not often with my phone, but just try to give the impression that "oh, I'm not crossing, carry on".

The one move that I consistently struggle with how to "do right" is crossing to an island, like the trail alongside the LRT tracks at Columbia, or the (small) island on Weber, or University at the Laurel Trail. Because... if I see a break in traffic for the first stage, I'll quickly bike across to the island and stop rapidly. BUT! If cars see me do that in the second stage, sometimes they'll slam on the brakes thinking I haven't seen them and am going to go shooting across in front of them. (I think that's only happened once, but now I project that it's ALWAYS going to happen)... so I have to gauge my body language and eye contact and everything to try and make it VERY VERYYYYYYYY CLEAR that "YES, I AM STOPPING... YOU do not need to stop on your 60 or 70 km/h road).

[danbrotherston]

I like your thinking on this. I have been known to stop and pull out my cellphone and look at it. Works pretty well for bicycling and for walking.

It’s still a bit ridiculous but people seem to understand that I have no intention of crossing in the next few seconds so they continue on.

Nono, that's not ridiculous at all, I do that too!  I totally forgot about that, and I actually do that all the time - not often with my phone, but just try to give the impression that "oh, I'm not crossing, carry on".

The one move that I consistently struggle with how to "do right" is crossing to an island, like the trail alongside the LRT tracks at Columbia, or the (small) island on Weber, or University at the Laurel Trail.  Because... if I see a break in traffic for the first stage, I'll quickly bike across to the island and stop rapidly.  BUT!  If cars see me do that in the second stage, sometimes they'll slam on the brakes thinking I haven't seen them and am going to go shooting across in front of them.  (I think that's only happened once, but now I project that it's ALWAYS going to happen)... so I have to gauge my body language and eye contact and everything to try and make it VERY VERYYYYYYYY CLEAR that "YES, I AM STOPPING... YOU do not need to stop on your 60 or 70 km/h road).

Thanks for the feedback guys.

You know, when you pull out your phones, you're going to be the subject of someone's "those stupid cyclists/peds always jumping in front of cars while on their phones" story .

I am definitely experiencing a great waste of time with this.  The most frustrating crossing is Union...where routinely, i.e., often more than once a day, a car will slow down to stop for me, which actually ends up eating up the space I would have been able to cross in, but that crossing I will never cross in, two way traffic is too heavy, and occasionally cars will even move around stopping vehicles.

And yes, cars are often spooked by me stopping on the crossing island on University and especially the Weber one because it is criminally narrow.  Often they slam on brakes, sometimes they lay on their horn.

[Canard]

And that's why we need this:

https://youtu.be/5brcvKbvk0c



(I'd seriously get these if I didn't love the timbre of my Knog Oi! Bikebell so much... which nobody ever f'ing hears anyway)

[Pheidippides]

The city of Kitchener could improve that link by running a 3-4m path across Rockway golf course:
   

No different than a cart path and they already own the land.

[danbrotherston]

And that's why we need this:

https://youtu.be/5brcvKbvk0c



(I'd seriously get these if I didn't love the timbre of my Knog Oi! Bikebell so much... which nobody ever f'ing hears anyway)

Heh, that I would enjoy.  

I could never live in New York...I would lose my mind.  It's crazy that such a pedestrian city is so car focused.

[danbrotherston]

The city of Kitchener could improve that link by running a 3-4m path across Rockway golf course:


No different than a cart path and they already own the land.

I don't know how to draw on the map like that, but that's exactly what I've talked to staff about before (although, they're looking at a path from Nyberg/Sydney and along Bedford to Courtland Ave to meet the new path along Courtland.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that Rockway is city owned, the department that manages the golf course outright refuses to consider allowing a path, and there doesn't seem to be the political will to force the issue. I don't quite understand why not.

[Canard]

The city of Kitchener could improve that link by running a 3-4m path across Rockway golf course:


No different than a cart path and they already own the land.

I just do this:

   

(Golf people would probably lose their minds if they did what you propose)

[ijmorlan]

I am definitely experiencing a great waste of time with this.  The most frustrating crossing is Union...where routinely, i.e., often more than once a day, a car will slow down to stop for me, which actually ends up eating up the space I would have been able to cross in, but that crossing I will never cross in, two way traffic is too heavy, and occasionally cars will even move around stopping vehicles.

Well, the problem at Union is that there should be an island. But the planner to whom I suggested that starting mumbling about level two pedestrian crossovers, and acted as if the new legislation allowed them to do stuff they couldn’t before. This is a problematic response on several levels: 1) they didn’t actually think for even a second about whether my idea was actually good; 2) crosswalks have always been a possibility - the recent legislation just clarifies what the signage should look like; 3) what about bicycles, who are not permitted to ride in a crosswalk?

[jamincan]

Sometimes I'll go if someone yields for me and it's obviously safe to go. If it isn't I just stand my ground, look them firmly in the eyes and shake my head no. It usually seems to work.