Welcome Guest!
In order to take advantage of all the great features that Waterloo Region Connected has to offer, including participating in the lively discussions below, you're going to have to register. The good news is that it'll take less than a minute and you can get started enjoying Waterloo Region's best online community right away.
or Create an Account




Thread Rating:
  • 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Cycling in Waterloo Region
(04-30-2017, 10:47 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: @kevinl Lexington is getting a north side bike path over the expressway this  summer.

That's excellent news!  I'm rarely in that area of town these days, but that bike path is sorely needed and should make the east (north?) side of the city much more accessible by bicycle.
Reply


I was in Hamilton recently, and I saw something there that I have wondered about for Waterloo. On one of the busy one-way streets, I found that one lane had been converted into a two-way separated bike lane:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.2556451,-...6656?hl=en

And while there has been much discussion of Bridgeport and Erb and the benefits and disadvantages of being one-way streets, I wonder how either or both would look if they were one-way streets, but with one of their lanes converted into something like this.

Some googling finds that these lanes have been around for over two years, but I don't remember seeing anything about them before.
Reply
(05-02-2017, 04:24 PM)timc Wrote: Some googling finds that these lanes have been around for over two years, but I don't remember seeing anything about them before.

Yes We Cannon was a big push by Hamilton's livable city community, with Raise the Hammer and co writing a lot about it. It is interesting that we didn't talk about it much in this region.
Reply
(04-28-2017, 09:27 AM)UrbanCanoe Wrote: I've combined the routes proposed by Clasher and Canrard to create a more scenic route, yet surprisingly efficient at only 25.2 km. Sections of road at Fountain St bridge and the trail along the Speed River are incomplete on the map so the AI shows significant rerouting around these areas. However, both sections are open and passable (though not 100% certain the trail along the River is open with the 401 construction). I've mapped these sections separately and removed them from the original estimate to determine the final distance. I'd love to try this route some Saturday morning for no other purpose than the scenery especially through Rockway Gardens, Homer Watson Park along the Grand River, Riverside Park and trail along the Speed River, ending in the historic Hespeler downtown.

I tried to ride the first part of this today, but was greeted with a closure to the trail that runs along the river, by the wastewater treatment plant. The signs said it was closed in 2016, so I assumed the signs were just outdated and pressed on. Greeted with a lovely giant "NO TRESSPASSING" sign, so turned around and gave up. https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/86...2748662785

Very disappointed, but understand in future if I try this again I could go down the adjacent road through the housing area. I was too tired - the wind was just awful coming back home.
Reply
I haven't been on that trail in a couple years, in places it's right on the bank of the river so both sides often see a bit flooding. Last time I rode it was blocked just for some construction related stuff at the water treatment plant. Mill park drive is nice riding though it's a bit more up and down, it goes to the same place
Reply
Yeesh, it's still closed? That's got to be going on over a year now.
Reply
The city has been applying thermoplastic bike lane markers on Margaret. There is a new one in front of the Grace Lutheran church and at lunch they were getting ready to apply one at Wilhelm. This will be a nice improvement to the paint that keeps wearing off weeks after being applied.
Reply


(05-09-2017, 02:55 PM)Chris Wrote: The city has been applying thermoplastic bike lane markers on Margaret. There is a new one in front of the Grace Lutheran church and at lunch they were getting ready to apply one at Wilhelm. This will be a nice improvement to the paint that keeps wearing off weeks after being applied.

Paint which continually wears off is an indicator that cars are driving in the bike lane.  I realize there is parking (that's another issue entirely), but vehicles moving into and out of parking are unlikely to cause lines to wear away as they do on many roads.  Seems like we need a solution which actually protects the bike lanes more than with just paint.
Reply
I would bet parking puts on inordinate wear on traffic markings: while parking, people tend to turn the steering wheel while not in motion. With the help of power steering, this then applies a scrubbing motion to the pavement (via the tires). While driving, the tires merely roll over the pavement.

(I have no data or even observations about the use of the bike lane on Margaret, though.)
Reply
It doesn't help that the paint used for traffic lines is different these days. They used to use something that went down more thickly, but for whatever reason was phased out. The new stuff wears out much easier.
Reply
They took out the chemicals that are bad for the environment, or at least that's what I heard.
Reply
https://nowtoronto.com/news/biko-app-get...n-toronto/
Reply
Hi, I bike, and I like FREE STUFF. When can we get this in Waterloo Region?
Reply


(05-11-2017, 07:17 PM)notmyfriends Wrote: https://nowtoronto.com/news/biko-app-get...n-toronto/

Amazing! I'd never have to buy beer again! Big Grin
Reply
(05-12-2017, 01:07 PM)Section ThirtyOne Wrote:
(05-11-2017, 07:17 PM)notmyfriends Wrote: https://nowtoronto.com/news/biko-app-get...n-toronto/

Amazing! I'd never have to buy beer again! Big Grin

Indeed
Reply
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 8 Guest(s)

About Waterloo Region Connected

Launched in August 2014, Waterloo Region Connected is an online community that brings together all the things that make Waterloo Region great. Waterloo Region Connected provides user-driven content fueled by a lively discussion forum covering topics like urban development, transportation projects, heritage issues, businesses and other issues of interest to those in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the four Townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.

              User Links