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Cycling in Waterloo Region
I guess that cycling data is valuable enough that it somehow makes money for that biko app?
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Krug St. from East avenue under the bridge, not sure for how far, is closing until October. Signs up for a public consultation regarding on street bike lanes scheduled for April 18th at the Auditorium. Not sure of the time. I was driving and couldn't read the entire sign.
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(05-14-2017, 06:21 PM)creative Wrote: Krug St. from East avenue under the bridge, not sure for how far, is closing until October. Signs up for a public consultation regarding on street bike lanes scheduled for April 18th at the Auditorium. Not sure of the time. I was driving and couldn't read the entire sign.

-April +May.

Details are:

Public information centre (P.I.C.) for Krug Street which will take place on May 18th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in the Subscriber’s Lounge.


It is pretty important that those who care about this issue attend and push for very good infrastructure.  This is one of the few east-west routes in Kitchener and one of the few options for crossing the highway safely.  It would be very sad if this was compromised for parking.
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Almost seems like a conspiracy to divide and conquer the active transportation community.

4 PCCs this week, with essentially the same audience, with three of them on the same night and time!

Waterloo Park Upgrades (including Central promenade)
When: May 16, 2017 between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Where: Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. W., Waterloo

Spur Line @ Union
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: Waterloo City Centre (on the main floor atrium), 100 Regina St. S., Waterloo

PARTS - Public Information Centre #3
Thursday, May 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Victoria Park Pavilion (80 Schneider Ave).
6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Krug Street Public information centre (P.I.C.)
May 18th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in the Subscriber’s Lounge.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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(05-18-2017, 03:55 PM)KevinL Wrote:

Of course there are plenty of places where crossing at 90 degrees is difficult and going to ensure drives treat you badly.

This video needs an associated video for drivers:

 - Drivers, several locations on the route require cyclists to swerve to cross the tracks at a 90 degree angle.  DO NOT HONK AT THEM in return, DO NOT DRIVE AGGRESSIVELY at them in response.  DO ANTICIPATE these locations, and DO NOT TRY TO PASS at these locations.

 - Cyclists must ride 1 meter out from the curb, you must give 1 meter space, so there isn't enough room to pass, do not try.
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Isn't one metre from the curb awfully far? I certainly never ride that far from the curb, unless it's an empty road. Am I the exception?
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Like you, Tom, I ride as close to the curb as I can, so that cars can safely get by and I'm not holding up anyone.  I've never had an issue - but, I bike very courteously, and I find that drivers have always extended those same courtesies to me as well as a result.  Bike like a dick and you piss everyone off and are more likely to have confrontations.  Everyone's happy when we all just chill.

Sidebar: Biked to work again this morning (25-30 km); I've done it a few times a week for the last little while and am loving it - thanks again to everyone here who made suggestions on how to get between Kitchener and Cambridge safely! I've dialed in an awesome route (different each way, for variety and based on traffic flow) and it's been great.
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Ride too close to the curb and you risk getting caught on a lip between the asphalt and concrete. That happened to me on the weekend on University Avenue. I almost lost control as my wheel skidded along the edge, and I was very close to falling over into traffic. I was cursing the pavers who left an uneven surface.

Riding one metre away from the curb seems excessive, especially when most bike lanes are less than 2 metres wide (1.75 metres seems to be standard, although some are as narrow as 1.25 metres!).
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Right; I should have clarified that by "as close to the curb as I can" sometimes means I'm 15 cm away, and sometimes it means yeah, I'm a metre out because of broken pavement and situations like what you describe. A quick shoulder check and a verification of the surroundings determine my next actions; to either move out around the obstacle or to slow down a bit.
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I'm the same as most of you in that how far I am from the curb is largely dependent on context, but for the most part I tend to give myself more space than most of you seem to, probably on average 1.5-2 ft. Specifically, I don't like riding over sewer grates, and this is normally sufficient to keep clear of them. It's better to hold a line and be predictable than to weave in and out of traffic. I'll ride much closer to the edge of the asphalt if there are no grates, which typically means there are also no curbs. I also take the full lane any time I don't feel I can safely be passed.
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(05-24-2017, 12:40 PM)Canard Wrote: Like you, Tom, I ride as close to the curb as I can, so that cars can safely get by and I'm not holding up anyone.  I've never had an issue - but, I bike very courteously, and I find that drivers have always extended those same courtesies to me as well as a result.  Bike like a dick and you piss everyone off and are more likely to have confrontations.  Everyone's happy when we all just chill.

Right.  Share the road -- applies to both motorists and to cyclists.  If we all were to think about others who are also using the road we would have far fewer problems.
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The recommendation is to bike 1 meter from the curb.  If drivers don't like this, then they have a problem with the HTA not cyclists.  Any driver who's only courteous to cyclists who don't mind being run into the curb isn't courteous to cyclists.

Reasons for riding away from curb:
1.   Gravel collects there
2.   Larger debris, pieces of car, etc.
3.   Glass collects there
4.   Potholes are often there.
5.   Sewer grates.
6.   Doors may open into this space.
7.   It gives me space to swerve inward if needed without being forced into a crash.

Now, all of these things are intermittent.  You can ride close to the curb and then swerve out as needed.   I consider that much more dangerous.  

I also consider riding close to the curb an invitation for cars to pass similarly close to me.  I will ride 1 meter out from the curb, if that doesn't leave sufficient room to pass me within the lane, then I ride in the middle of the lane.  Smart drivers will understand this in no way impedes them more than if I were to ride at the right hand side, because they'd still have to move into traffic.  Other drivers don't understand this and believe I'm impeding them.  This is because they'd likely just try to push past within the same lane if I let them.

This is what I do.  I don't judge others for doing differently, but it's backed up by all the HTA.

Now I find that 94% of drivers are courteous and careful.  5% are on their cell phones or otherwise not paying attention at the moment they pass and 1% choose to be dangerous because they object to my road positioning.  The last 6% are a problem, and will continue to be always until we build better infrastructure.

I am always dismayed by people who say they never meet drivers who are discourteous to them.  They must have a very high tolerance.  I have been screamed at to get off the road while biking through a park.
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(05-24-2017, 01:22 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
(05-24-2017, 12:40 PM)Canard Wrote: Like you, Tom, I ride as close to the curb as I can, so that cars can safely get by and I'm not holding up anyone.  I've never had an issue - but, I bike very courteously, and I find that drivers have always extended those same courtesies to me as well as a result.  Bike like a dick and you piss everyone off and are more likely to have confrontations.  Everyone's happy when we all just chill.

Right.  Share the road -- applies to both motorists and to cyclists.  If we all were to think about others who are also using the road we would have far fewer problems.

This is nice in theory.  In practice there will always be 1% of people who don't, and there is no fixing those people.  We can only fix the infrastructure.
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" Now, all of these things are intermittent. You can ride close to the curb and then swerve out as needed. I consider that much more dangerous."

This is how I feel. I can't tell you precisely how far from the curb I normally am, but I imagine it's closer to one meter than half a meter. Cars are still able to pass me, but if something (glass, dog or horse waste, whatever) happens to be in the gutter, I don't have to swerve out, which has to be a bad move.
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