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Cycling in Waterloo Region
(09-25-2018, 08:55 AM)panamaniac Wrote:
(09-24-2018, 11:40 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: There is a no parking sign at the very top of the H3. Visible from the road.  

I did get ride for pointing out to the driver of the third vehicle that there was a no parking sign right in front of him.

Say again?

Err, woops, 

I did get called rude for pointing out ...
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(09-25-2018, 09:21 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(09-25-2018, 08:55 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Say again?

Err, woops, 

I did get called rude for pointing out ...

I thought that's what you must have meant - astonishingly entitled motorist, to have anything other than an apologetic reaction.
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(09-25-2018, 09:30 AM)panamaniac Wrote:
(09-25-2018, 09:21 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: Err, woops, 

I did get called rude for pointing out ...

I thought that's what you must have meant - astonishingly entitled motorist, to have anything other than an apologetic reaction.

Eh, I've had much worse.  He said this to the other fellow in his car, as I was walking past...before they pulled out...

Frankly, I take any interaction where there are no expletives, and where the car actually leaves the bike lane a big win in my books.  Low bar I know.
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I think a lot of times it comes down to how the interaction initiates.

Last night, I was at a stop sign on a country road, perpendicular to a major road. The guy behind me didn't like that I didn't take what I felt was a too small gap to zip across, and honked at me. I felt horrible about it all night and got really angry about it, and couldn't shake it. Yeah, I probably could have gone, but honking is so rude and abrasive and it just made me feel like he was a dick.

Likewise, when cycling or interacting with others on trails, I always find if the interaction starts out agressive, like "HEY, GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!!" shouting, then they'll get mad too and are more likely to flip you the bird.

If you keep it cool and be like "Hey man, this kinda sucks but you're in the bike lane, would you mind moving?", I think you're far more likely to get a less aggressive response in return.
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Between this and LRT tracks, some people just park wherever they want. Sad.
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I'd rephrase that personally as "some people just park wherever they want" - which is sad.

The vast majority of the driving public have gotten the message (or never even considered doing it in the first place). I haven't run across someone parked in the lanes for quite a long time now, and I ride them quite regularly.

(I always feel like when we say "_____ers/ists/ians are ____ for doing ____" it's no different than being racist, really... it's pretty much exactly the same. We are stating a generalization based on observations of behaviors of a few, and apply it blindly to all. And I'm guilty of it, too - I basically hate all joggers. Tongue)
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(09-25-2018, 12:09 PM)Canard Wrote: Last night, I was at a stop sign on a country road, perpendicular to a major road. The guy behind me didn't like that I didn't take what I felt was a too small gap to zip across, and honked at me. I felt horrible about it all night and got really angry about it, and couldn't shake it. Yeah, I probably could have gone, but honking is so rude and abrasive and it just made me feel like he was a dick.

I usually move out of a car's way in this kind of situation... I know I have the right-of-way but I'd rather the car just get on their way and then I don't have to worry about them overtaking me from behind. I wouldn't do it if there were a lot of cars waiting but one or two I usually just wait off to the side and wave 'em by.

I just can't be arsed to harass ignorant people on the road... too many road-raging jerks out there and I really don't need to get into a brawl over a traffic violation.

Personally I think the best solution for uptown waterloo would be a guerilla bollard installation since the city has run out of shits to give.
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(09-25-2018, 12:23 PM)Canard Wrote: I'd rephrase that personally as "some people just park wherever they want" - which is sad.

The vast majority of the driving public have gotten the message (or never even considered doing it in the first place).  I haven't run across someone parked in the lanes for quite a long time now, and I ride them quite regularly.

(I always feel like when we say "_____ers/ists/ians are ____ for doing ____" it's no different than being racist, really... it's pretty much exactly the same.  We are stating a generalization based on observations of behaviors of a few, and apply it blindly to all.  And I'm guilty of it, too - I basically hate all joggers. Tongue)

Yup, you're absolutely right, not fair to generalize.
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(09-25-2018, 01:06 PM)clasher Wrote:
(09-25-2018, 12:09 PM)Canard Wrote: Last night, I was at a stop sign on a country road, perpendicular to a major road.  The guy behind me didn't like that I didn't take what I felt was a too small gap to zip across, and honked at me.  I felt horrible about it all night and got really angry about it, and couldn't shake it.  Yeah, I probably could have gone, but honking is so rude and abrasive and it just made me feel like he was a dick.

I usually move out of a car's way in this kind of situation... I know I have the right-of-way but I'd rather the car just get on their way and then I don't have to worry about them overtaking me from behind. I wouldn't do it if there were a lot of cars waiting but one or two I usually just wait off to the side and wave 'em by.

I just can't be arsed to harass ignorant people on the road... too many road-raging jerks out there and I really don't need to get into a brawl over a traffic violation.

Personally I think the best solution for uptown waterloo would be a guerilla bollard installation since the city has run out of shits to give.

To clarify, I was driving, too. 

I don’t ride my bicycle on country roads. Tongue
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CTV's reports about the new bike lanes on Bedford:

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1498077
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A cyclist was struck and killed by a tractor trailer in Cambridge this morning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener...-1.4842229
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(10-01-2018, 08:37 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: City of Waterloo had a council meeting today.

I delegated for my item, which was a request to have council ask Regional council to look into having more protection than roll curbs for Phase 2 of the separated bike lane project on King St.

It was passed unanimously.  Yay.

However they also passed a pilot project for Lime scooters along the path through Waterloo park up to the R&T Park (excluding UW campus, including the R&T Park).

While this pilot may be interesting and "cool"...I believe that approving it, with virtually no process is effectively throwing the rest of the region (not to mention the rest of the City of Waterloo) under the bus, WRT DropBike's pilot project.  It has been negotiation in good faith for over a year with the region, and is nearing an agreement, but they may be far less willing to form an agreement with another operator already in place.  The Dropbike reps were quite unhappy that they have been forced to go through this lengthy process, but Lime scooter is approved without it.

I give about 60% odds that drop bike will drop out of an agreement.

I hope they do something better than what they've got now.

When Ottawa first introduced segregated bike lanes along Laurier Ave as a pilot project they essentially just put down concrete parking curbs along the bike lane lines and tried it out.  With a ton of success.  Why not try that?  I can't imaging the cost being outrageous.  

   
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Whoa now, Waterloo can't go building useful cycling infrastructure using proven designs that have worked in other jurisdictions. Gotta keep designing the weirdest and dumbest things possible like Lexington and Glasgow's bike lanes. (Kitchener is obviously on-board too)
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Well, it's not just us. Just got a picture of a van in a bike lane in Maribor (Slovenia). Had to jump a real curb too.
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(10-01-2018, 11:32 PM)clasher Wrote: Whoa now, Waterloo can't go building useful cycling infrastructure using proven designs that have worked in other jurisdictions. Gotta keep designing the weirdest and dumbest things possible like Lexington and Glasgow's bike lanes. (Kitchener is obviously on-board too)

We do pride ourselves on being innovative.  So I guess taking other people's ideas that work extremely well wouldn't fit around here.
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