Cycling in Waterloo Region

[ac3r]

You guys will like this one.

Waterloo residents take aim at bicycle lanes, climate funding in budget survey: https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...db57a.html

[bravado]

There's nothing more delightfully municipal than 443 random cranks in a poll getting a local news headline

[cherrypark]

"The survey has no margin of error as it does not rely on a statistically valid representative sample" - yet still more datapoints than the average Outhit piece.

Interestingly I think that people's personal vehicles are "unnecessary, underutilized and a waste of property taxes income" and yet they continue to own 2-3 per household and pay for an inefficiently large amount of linear infrastructure to use them...

[ijmorlan]

"The survey has no margin of error as it does not rely on a statistically valid representative sample" - yet still more datapoints than the average Outhit piece.

Interestingly I think that people's personal vehicles are "unnecessary, underutilized and a waste of property taxes income" and yet they continue to own 2-3 per household and pay for an inefficiently large amount of linear infrastructure to use them...

Yes, it’s completely asinine to complain about property taxes spent on bike lanes when we spend so much on space for motor vehicles to drive. You could probably fund a better bike network than any active transportation group has ever proposed by just value engineering road construction: only build 4 lanes where truly justified by the traffic, build neighbourhood streets narrower, etc. Drivers wouldn’t even have to notice the difference.

[ac3r]

Waterloo's bike lanes finally see some use: https://www.instagram.com/waterloowildin/p/C2-dND8JdM1/

[Acitta]

CTV: Cyclist dead after crash in Kitchener

[Bytor]

Waterloo's bike lanes finally see some use: https://www.instagram.com/waterloowildin/p/C2-dND8JdM1/

Because the bike counter a few blocks south is still a zero since installation, and most especially doesn't show any winter riders, ever.

Why always the shameless misinformation with you on bike lanes and transit?

[ac3r]

I just think it's funny to troll sometimes.

[the_conestoga_guy]

It appears that the active transportation expansion for Duke Street in DTK is no longer going being recommended by council (page 18 of link below). Staff are instead recommending separate facilities between Victoria and Water that would provide a connection between the Water St facilities and the future underpass at the new transit hub.

https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeet...entId=7153

• Previous plans envisioned a AAA cycling facility along Duke Street between Frederick Street and Water Street. After the detailed review of the alternative designs, corridor constraints, and long term multimodal transportation objectives, it was concluded that the section between Frederick Street and Water Street should be removed from the Downtown Kitchener AAA cycling network at this time.
  
• The main reasons for removing this section of Duke Street from the AAA network is that the available corridor space between Frederick Street and Young Street is not wide enough to accommodate two- directional bus service, a two-directional separated cycling facility, and a sidewalk
  

Having some progress is certainly better than none, but I hope our planners are taking this as an opportunity to evaluate other options to move people safely through this area. 


I hope that this can be used as a chance to advocate for finally closing King St through downtown to cars so that the local residents have a safe space to move through their neighbourhood. I know it's an unpopular idea politically for suburbanites who don't want their Uber Eats drivers to lose access to parking in front of restaurants, but I think it's an idea worth exploring sometime in the next 10 years.

[danbrotherston]

It appears that the active transportation expansion for Duke Street in DTK is no longer going being recommended by council (page 18 of link below). Staff are instead recommending separate facilities between Victoria and Water that would provide a connection between the Water St facilities and the future underpass at the new transit hub.

https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeet...entId=7153

• Previous plans envisioned a AAA cycling facility along Duke Street between Frederick Street and Water Street. After the detailed review of the alternative designs, corridor constraints, and long term multimodal transportation objectives, it was concluded that the section between Frederick Street and Water Street should be removed from the Downtown Kitchener AAA cycling network at this time.
  
• The main reasons for removing this section of Duke Street from the AAA network is that the available corridor space between Frederick Street and Young Street is not wide enough to accommodate two- directional bus service, a two-directional separated cycling facility, and a sidewalk
  

Having some progress is certainly better than none, but I hope our planners are taking this as an opportunity to evaluate other options to move people safely through this area. 


I hope that this can be used as a chance to advocate for finally closing King St through downtown to cars so that the local residents have a safe space to move through their neighbourhood. I know it's an unpopular idea politically for suburbanites who don't want their Uber Eats drivers to lose access to parking in front of restaurants, but I think it's an idea worth exploring sometime in the next 10 years.

I mean, I called this...

They had better also recommend removing the word "network" from the name.

I know I'm an absolutely cynical asshole, but there is zero chance there will be a cycling connection in this area in the next 10 years.

Duke is out (despite there being enough room, but the idea of running busses on the LRT ROW is something they're unwilling to consider) and Weber is obviously out (cars will NEVER be impeded).

King is possible, but I'd rather see it become a pedestrian plaza, and while the Dutch can mix bikes and peds, I don't think people in Canada can do that...but either way, I don't see it happening either.

So frankly, the downtown cycling grid is effectively dead...and people think people like me leaving are wrong and that there's great hope and progress in North America. Gimme a f***ing break.

[the_conestoga_guy]

It appears that the active transportation expansion for Duke Street in DTK is no longer going being recommended by council (page 18 of link below). Staff are instead recommending separate facilities between Victoria and Water that would provide a connection between the Water St facilities and the future underpass at the new transit hub.

https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeet...entId=7153

Having some progress is certainly better than none, but I hope our planners are taking this as an opportunity to evaluate other options to move people safely through this area. 


I hope that this can be used as a chance to advocate for finally closing King St through downtown to cars so that the local residents have a safe space to move through their neighbourhood. I know it's an unpopular idea politically for suburbanites who don't want their Uber Eats drivers to lose access to parking in front of restaurants, but I think it's an idea worth exploring sometime in the next 10 years.

I mean, I called this...

They had better also recommend removing the word "network" from the name.

I know I'm an absolutely cynical asshole, but there is zero chance there will be a cycling connection in this area in the next 10 years.

Duke is out (despite there being enough room, but the idea of running busses on the LRT ROW is something they're unwilling to consider) and Weber is obviously out (cars will NEVER be impeded).

King is possible, but I'd rather see it become a pedestrian plaza, and while the Dutch can mix bikes and peds, I don't think people in Canada can do that...but either way, I don't see it happening either.

So frankly, the downtown cycling grid is effectively dead...and people think people like me leaving are wrong and that there's great hope and progress in North America. Gimme a f***ing break.

I'm certainly disappointed, but I don't want to let it completely crush my hopes for this city. I don't plan on moving, so the best I can hope for is to continue advocating for a better future for everyone. Progress may feel glacial, especially with the city sprawling faster than it can build active transportation facilities.

KW is lucky to be insulated from most of the effects of climate change, so it's harder to push for real progress on climate-resilient infrastructure here. Obviously compared to the Netherlands, where they're basically sinking into the sea, the political climate is very different.

I actually think this is something that differs between departments within the City and Region, which reflects terribly on upper leadership. On one hand, we're permitting sprawl and everything that comes with that. But on the other hand, the city is spending ten of millions to make Region infrastructure resilient to the increased flood risks along GRCA areas. It just feels like we're lacking real leadership overall, not just with bike lanes.

[danbrotherston]

I mean, I called this...

They had better also recommend removing the word "network" from the name.

I know I'm an absolutely cynical asshole, but there is zero chance there will be a cycling connection in this area in the next 10 years.

Duke is out (despite there being enough room, but the idea of running busses on the LRT ROW is something they're unwilling to consider) and Weber is obviously out (cars will NEVER be impeded).

King is possible, but I'd rather see it become a pedestrian plaza, and while the Dutch can mix bikes and peds, I don't think people in Canada can do that...but either way, I don't see it happening either.

So frankly, the downtown cycling grid is effectively dead...and people think people like me leaving are wrong and that there's great hope and progress in North America. Gimme a f***ing break.

I'm certainly disappointed, but I don't want to let it completely crush my hopes for this city. I don't plan on moving, so the best I can hope for is to continue advocating for a better future for everyone. Progress may feel glacial, especially with the city sprawling faster than it can build active transportation facilities.

KW is lucky to be insulated from most of the effects of climate change, so it's harder to push for real progress on climate-resilient infrastructure here. Obviously compared to the Netherlands, where they're basically sinking into the sea, the political climate is very different.

I actually think this is something that differs between departments within the City and Region, which reflects terribly on upper leadership. On one hand, we're permitting sprawl and everything that comes with that. But on the other hand, the city is spending ten of millions to make Region infrastructure resilient to the increased flood risks along GRCA areas. It just feels like we're lacking real leadership overall, not just with bike lanes.

I'm definitely not saying everyone must or even should move. I stayed and advocated for a decade and a half. But we change and our lives progress. Leaving aside advocacy burnout...I also had a daughter, and I want her to grow up with certain freedoms and safety which are unavailable in Kitchener (or basically all of Canada for that matter). That was a large part of why we decided to move.

But the downtown grid was the one thing that made me feel as though transformative change might be possible. Even then, it would be a generation before the city is meaningfully transformed.

As for climate change risk, yeah, the Dutch have a few serious threats...the rising sea levels are definitely one, but that's something they know how to deal with. IMO the much bigger threat is the cessation of the AMOC...which could transform our climate from balmy and rainy to the frozen tundra of Northern Ontario. It would be absolutely devastating, agriculture is like our biggest export. I really don't think there's any preparing for that...or that such preparations are even possible. For Waterloo, you guys are pretty well isolated...the worst thing that will happen will be vastly more freezing rain...which is like...no big deal.

[KevinL]

the worst thing that will happen will be vastly more freezing rain...which is like...no big deal.

So long as they finally get the Ion working during it...

[tomh009]

As for climate change risk, yeah, the Dutch have a few serious threats...the rising sea levels are definitely one, but that's something they know how to deal with. IMO the much bigger threat is the cessation of the AMOC...which could transform our climate from balmy and rainy to the frozen tundra of Northern Ontario. It would be absolutely devastating, agriculture is like our biggest export. I really don't think there's any preparing for that...or that such preparations are even possible.

Indeed, the impact of the end--or reversal--of AMOC (Atlantic Mid-Ocean Current, including the Gulf Stream) would be massive in Europe. Some scientists are predicting this is imminent but the consensus seems to be that it's not likely in the short term. No one really knows for sure whether this will happen, though, or exactly how severe the consequences would be. The Netherlands and the UK would be some of the worst-hit countries, though.

[neonjoe]

Plan to repurpose driving lanes on Benton and Frederick for a cyclists.
I believe this was something that Dan advocated for years ago.
https://www.engagewr.ca/benton-and-frederick-cycling