Cycling in Waterloo Region

[danbrotherston]

I'm sorry, drivers don't complain about traffic? Umm...what universe are you living in, because in this universe, complaining about traffic is a national pastime.

As for drivers who believe everyone should drive, are you being serious right now? How many people oppose bike lanes because "nobody bikes"?

Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo doesn't have traffic. It really literally has no traffic. Ever, except the odd time that there is an accident on the Expressway that jams things up.

Now, if you're in downtown Toronto, that's a different story. If you're driving to downtown Toronto, unless you're staying at a hotel, you're doing it all wrong.

Perhaps I have different contacts/friends/family than you, but I have heard no complaints about bike lanes. I have heard of complaints on the radio/editorial regarding lanes in Toronto, but I don't live there, and neither do you. We're talking this region.

My universe is this region, I work here, I live here, I don't see traffic, and I don't hear of complaints about traffic or bike lanes. Though there was some woman in Waterloo gripping about bike lanes on University Ave, but that was one person.

Or, maybe it's just me. Having spent too much time in Toronto, I know what traffic looks like. And perhaps I tune people out if they bitch about traffic in this region or bitch about bike lanes. Perhaps I keep the AM radio off because of so much bullcrap with peoples ultra strong and unyielding opinions regarding homelessness, vaccines, politics, bike lanes, traffic, etc.

Or perhaps I am just enlightened enough to realize that people should have an option to use whatever method of transportation they want to use, be it walking, biking, scootering, motorcycling/ebike, transit, car, truck, or whatever (though to be honest, not a fan of gas guzzlers). Just as long as everyone does it safely, and have respect for one another, and obey any applicable laws.

I actually agree with the factual claim that WR has little to no congestion (not literally none, but very little). It does not stop people complaining about it. Everyone wants to participate in our national passtime. Heck, I know people from small towns who will tell you about how bad the traffic is when they had to stop 3 cars back from a red light. I hear very frequent complaining about congestion (usually they confuse traffic with congestion). It's strange to claim otherwise.

As for no complaints about bike lanes. Have you read the record? Have you watched CTV? Any news source in the region?

But later in your comment you admit to tuning out people who complain about these things, good on you, it's better for your health, don't I know that. But those people still exist.

I'm glad you have the opinion that everyone should have choices about how to get places and those choices should be supported as safe and feasible. But we aren't talking about your opinion, we are talking about the opinions of people in the city. And you really are out of touch with that if you think everyone agrees with your position (a position, which I again, share). Opposition to bike lanes and complaining about traffic is ever present.