Cycling in Waterloo Region

[the_conestoga_guy]

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

This is the single project that I've been looking forward to the longest, as it's a route that I travel daily. I'm so happy to see this come to fruition next year. Thanks to Dan for his advocacy on this one!

[danbrotherston]

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

Yes, I did, quite some years ago: https://betterbenton.netlify.app/

I'm glad to see that someone is finally coming around to looking at it, although I guess we'll have to wait till closer to the August date for actual details on the plan, although given they are scoping the plan to the areas outside the central core where the LRT runs, I doubt they've actually absorbed the point I was getting to in the proposal.

Specifically, since the LRT section is recently rebuilt, and has an LRT, that area won't be rebuilt for many many years (probably 50 or more) so any design must work with the existing roadway there, which is difficult because one part is not four lanes wide.

So I proposed a a two way cycle track that could be fit on the north side (which has only one through lane) and keeping two way car traffic on the south side.

Given they have not included the central section in the project, I suspect they will simply painted cycle lanes on each side of the road of the rest of it, which frankly, is so simple and obvious that it should have happened 3 years ago when I proposed it. (And I'm sure they'll promise that just as soon as the central section needs reconstruction, the two halves will be connected up...sometime in 2060 or so).

Provided virtual meetings are still happening I guess I get to decide if I still want to stay up late enough to attend the meeting and give my 2c.

I guess I should wait till the actual design is proposed to pass judgment, but my hunch is still that it's the kind of thing that will remind me how mediocre the region is--and not necessarily that it's going to be bad, just that they are going for the easy design, that doesn't actually solve the hard problems and just uses free extra space, and yet even so it somehow still took years and years to propose and do.

[danbrotherston]

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

This is the single project that I've been looking forward to the longest, as it's a route that I travel daily. I'm so happy to see this come to fruition next year. Thanks to Dan for his advocacy on this one!

Thanks! Glad it's coming. Sorry for poo pooing it too much lol.

Out of curiosity, what sections do you ride? Again, I felt that the most important feature was being able to connect across the core because that is where there is the least existing infra, but it's possible there are other trips that I am missing that would be valuable too.

[tomh009]

I'm glad to see that someone is finally coming around to looking at it, although I guess we'll have to wait till closer to the August date for actual details on the plan, although given they are scoping the plan to the areas outside the central core where the LRT runs, I doubt they've actually absorbed the point I was getting to in the proposal.

Specifically, since the LRT section is recently rebuilt, and has an LRT, that area won't be rebuilt for many many years (probably 50 or more) so any design must work with the existing roadway there, which is difficult because one part is not four lanes wide.

They are planning to rebuild the entire street (except presumably the LRT tracks) from Courtland to Benton, and that project will enable the cycling infra between Charles and Weber. I don't think this will take 50 years, parts of Benton are really desperate for a rebuild.

Phase 2

This phase includes reconstructing Benton Street and Frederick Street from Courtland Avenue to Lancaster Street to replace underground infrastructure, include better connectivity to the ION station and provide safe walking and cycling facilities along the entire corridor.

[the_conestoga_guy]

This is the single project that I've been looking forward to the longest, as it's a route that I travel daily. I'm so happy to see this come to fruition next year. Thanks to Dan for his advocacy on this one!

Thanks! Glad it's coming. Sorry for poo pooing it too much lol.

Out of curiosity, what sections do you ride? Again, I felt that the most important feature was being able to connect across the core because that is where there is the least existing infra, but it's possible there are other trips that I am missing that would be valuable too.

I personally use the Frederick end of the route daily. As far as sharing the road is concerned, it's a fairly peaceful area. But I've still had a couple of incidents where I've needed to swerve or hit the brakes to save myself from inattentive drivers.

I responded to the EngageWR survey and requested that they include a contraflow painted bike lane on Ellen St E (between Frederick and Mansion). It's a small detail, but it would allow the whole West-side of Frederick to safely access cycling infrastructure without needing to share traffic on a bus road. I think you had something similar in your original mock-up.

[danbrotherston]

I'm glad to see that someone is finally coming around to looking at it, although I guess we'll have to wait till closer to the August date for actual details on the plan, although given they are scoping the plan to the areas outside the central core where the LRT runs, I doubt they've actually absorbed the point I was getting to in the proposal.

Specifically, since the LRT section is recently rebuilt, and has an LRT, that area won't be rebuilt for many many years (probably 50 or more) so any design must work with the existing roadway there, which is difficult because one part is not four lanes wide.

They are planning to rebuild the entire street (except presumably the LRT tracks) from Courtland to Benton, and that project will enable the cycling infra between Charles and Weber. I don't think this will take 50 years, parts of Benton are really desperate for a rebuild.

Phase 2

This phase includes reconstructing Benton Street and Frederick Street from Courtland Avenue to Lancaster Street to replace underground infrastructure, include better connectivity to the ION station and provide safe walking and cycling facilities along the entire corridor.

I by "that area" I specifically meant the LRT section...I agree the rest of the road is in need of reconstruction. It's why I felt it was important to design it so that it could fit in the existing LRT section, because there is such a disconnect in time between reconstructions of the different sections.

[Bytor]

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

Benton St traffic counts

16626 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT COURTLAND AVE
6316 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN COURTLAND & St. George
8033 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT St. George St
6444 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Church & St. George
7871 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Church St
6572 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Church
15416 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT CHARLES ST
8735 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Hall's Lane
9722 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Hall's Lane
8709 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Hall's Lane & King
14973 BENTON ST/FREDERICK ST (Regional Road 6) AT King St

What is it with the Region and only ever painted bike gutters? There's a 20m right-of-way to work with here.

https://streetmix.net/coryca/1/benton-st-kitchener-on

[dtkvictim]

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

Benton St traffic counts

16626 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT COURTLAND AVE
6316 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN COURTLAND & St. George
8033 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT St. George St
6444 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Church & St. George
7871 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Church St
6572 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Church
15416 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT CHARLES ST
8735 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Hall's Lane
9722 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Hall's Lane
8709 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Hall's Lane & King
14973 BENTON ST/FREDERICK ST (Regional Road 6) AT King St

What is it with the Region and only ever painted bike gutters? There's a 20m right-of-way to work with here.

https://streetmix.net/coryca/1/benton-st-kitchener-on

How is this measured? I'm confused how the major intersections record so much more traffic than the sections between, unless this is counting traffic crossing over but not using Benton St.

[Bytor]

Benton St traffic counts

16626 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT COURTLAND AVE
6316 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN COURTLAND & St. George
8033 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT St. George St
6444 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Church & St. George
7871 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Church St
6572 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Church
15416 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT CHARLES ST
8735 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN CHARLES & Hall's Lane
9722 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT Hall's Lane
8709 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) BTWN Hall's Lane & King
14973 BENTON ST/FREDERICK ST (Regional Road 6) AT King St

What is it with the Region and only ever painted bike gutters? There's a 20m right-of-way to work with here.

https://streetmix.net/coryca/1/benton-st-kitchener-on

How is this measured? I'm confused how the major intersections record so much more traffic than the sections between, unless this is counting traffic crossing over but not using Benton St.

Yes, the intersections, e.g. "16626 BENTON ST (Regional Road 6) AT COURTLAND AVE" are every vehicle going through it, regardless of which direction they came from, whether they turned or not.

If you check an intersection and the 4 "arms" around it, the intersection count is roughly 2x that of any arm, and roughly the same each pair of opposite arms.

Charles: Queen to Benton 8,179 + Benton to Eby 7,147 = 15326

Benton: Church to Charles 6,572 + Charles to Halls Lane 8,735 = 15307

Benton at Charles 15,416

[bravado]

So, I asked the local city councillor to look into adding bike racks to the downtown Galt arena. It's a historic spot and really nice. I thought that kids could use some bike parking at a place frequented by lots of kids. After 11 months, I got a reply that it was going to happen.

The results, as always for the City of Cambridge, are insulting, cheap, and useless. Ambition is for the people who live in the places where we go on holidays, not for where we actually live!



[size=1][/size]

[ac3r]

Haha. And I'll bet that still cost them a few thousand dollars in studies, consulting, materials and labour just to install one bike rack.

[danbrotherston]

So, I asked the local city councillor to look into adding bike racks to the downtown Galt arena. It's a historic spot and really nice. I thought that kids could use some bike parking at a place frequented by lots of kids. After 11 months, I got a reply that it was going to happen.

The results, as always for the City of Cambridge, are insulting, cheap, and useless. Ambition is for the people who live in the places where we go on holidays, not for where we actually live!



[size=1][/size]

Everything in that last photo is depressing.

[bravado]

I also took a picture of the massive, empty, expensive parking lot to the left - but I'll spare you that extra depression.

A local arena and institution, open for more than 100 years, reduced to a sad shell by suburban brainrot over decades. Not a child in sight on a clear Saturday morning.

[ac3r]

"Timmy why don't you go out with your friends?

We'd bike downtown, mom, but there's only enough room for one of our bikes! ;_;"

[bravado]

"Timmy why don't you go out with your friends?

We'd bike downtown, mom, but there's only enough room for one of our bikes! ;_;"

Local councillor/cartoon villain: those little kids should start paying property tax or suck it up!