Cycling in Waterloo Region

[jeffster]

So my teen was complaining about his bike ride to work, something about a weird noise, and the bike being difficult to peddle. He thought it was the brake pad rubbing against the rim. I took a quick look at it, and spun the tire, and it rotated normally, with no rubbing at all. However, I noticed that the kick-stand wasn't operating quite right. In fact, it was loose. In fact, the entire hub was loose, the bolt almost off.

Got 'er fixed. Obviously when he was peddling the tire was wobbling and likely the brake pad were rubbing against the rim. And he's lucky that it never came right off. And just a friendly reminder to always do your DVI (daily vehicle inspection) before hitting the road.

He should be good until next time.

[Bob_McBob]

[panamaniac]

Meaning?

[Square]

The car using the bike lane going the wrong way maybe?, lol

[timc]

FWIW, I crossed Weber for years before that island went in. It certainly was possible before.

But all that's really been traded is terror for convenience. Since I can theoretically cross half way now, I can cross faster because I don't have to wait for a break in both directions to cross the whole way.  But standing on the island is utterly terrifying.

Sorry, I didn't mean that it was always impossible, but there are certainly times of day where it was. 5 pm on a weeknight, for instance. The island still sucks as a place to stand, especially when faced with the sign that has recently been knocked over by a vehicle impact.

[panamaniac]

The car using the bike lane going the wrong way maybe?, lol

!!!  I didn't even notice! (but then, I am used to driving in K-W ..).

[Acitta]

There is a freshly paved MUT section on the North side of Highland Rd. from Ira Needles to Westheights Drive.     
They are working on the other side of the road.
   

[ac3r]

With so many people driving over the bollards or right in the cycling lanes (someone posted a video of this on Reddit very recently), I wonder if we could use things like flower/plant boxes to divide the road. They'd add some level of safety as they're solid objects and visible and they would beautify the area they're in. It certainly beats curbs and bollards that get destroyed from people and snowplows.

[timc]

With so many people driving over the bollards or right in the cycling lanes (someone posted a video of this on Reddit very recently), I wonder if we could use things like flower/plant boxes to divide the road. They'd add some level of safety as they're solid objects and visible and they would beautify the area they're in. It certainly beats curbs and bollards that get destroyed from people and snowplows.

Waterloo did that on Albert Street. They're not really beautiful, and they do get beaten up by snowplows. I think they're my least favourite of the options.

[danbrotherston]

[ac3r]

I'm surprised they did not put metal bars around the ends like a lot of other crossings have. They don't exactly provide protection, but they make the island a lot more visible to drivers.

[dtkvictim]

That is quite a silly alignment...

With so many people driving over the bollards or right in the cycling lanes (someone posted a video of this on Reddit very recently), I wonder if we could use things like flower/plant boxes to divide the road. They'd add some level of safety as they're solid objects and visible and they would beautify the area they're in. It certainly beats curbs and bollards that get destroyed from people and snowplows.

I would never object to more greenery in the city, but I don't think these are the best way to do that. All though in addition to other measures it would be fine.

It's funny you suggest that though, because I would just looking at the UT cycling thread and they were posting about how the planters seem to get the same treatment as other barriers:


Source: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/cy...st-1589711

[danbrotherston]

I'm surprised they did not put metal bars around the ends like a lot of other crossings have. They don't exactly provide protection, but they make the island a lot more visible to drivers.

I don't know the purpose of the bars, but given they are painted black, I don't believe they are intended to improve visibility, if drivers do not see the yellow retro-reflective warning signs (which they don't a great deal of the time) they aren't likely to see painted black railings.  I believe the railings are there for some purpose for peds (often this is mixed with the truly terrible offset crossing designs), but I'm not sure of the specific intention, but in any case, they no longer use those designs with new crossings.

That is quite a silly alignment...

With so many people driving over the bollards or right in the cycling lanes (someone posted a video of this on Reddit very recently), I wonder if we could use things like flower/plant boxes to divide the road. They'd add some level of safety as they're solid objects and visible and they would beautify the area they're in. It certainly beats curbs and bollards that get destroyed from people and snowplows.

I would never object to more greenery in the city, but I don't think these are the best way to do that. All though in addition to other measures it would be fine.

It's funny you suggest that though, because I would just looking at the UT cycling thread and they were posting about how the planters seem to get the same treatment as other barriers:


Source: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/cy...st-1589711

Yeah, that alignment....pretty crazy...I believe it's intended to make the crossing closer to 90 degrees, but it makes it much more awkward for trail users, and really, provides very limited benefit, in fact, crossing away from 90 would effectively create more width on the island (or it would if it was longer).

Out of curiosity, is your objection to planter barriers based on the implementation or something else?

The picture shows a pretty poor implementation (I mean, for one, it's missing the green), but on the plus sides the planters are wide, much wider than a curb and bollard, and they are also a fairly large vertical obstruction, it presents the driver with a much more solid looking barrier than a bollard or god forbid an idiotic roll curb. And because it is a vertical obstruction, it may also lower speeds more than a curb in the same place would.

[dtkvictim]

Out of curiosity, is your objection to planter barriers based on the implementation or something else?

The picture shows a pretty poor implementation (I mean, for one, it's missing the green), but on the plus sides the planters are wide, much wider than a curb and bollard, and they are also a fairly large vertical obstruction, it presents the driver with a much more solid looking barrier than a bollard or god forbid an idiotic roll curb.  And because it is a vertical obstruction, it may also lower speeds more than a curb in the same place would.

As safe infrastructure I don't oppose them, as long as they get implemented properly. And yeah, I was confused about the ones in the photo, I can't even tell for sure if they have dirt yet...

I was more concerned about adding them and having people count them as adequate greenery. Obviously they would be a net benefit, I'm just concerned if we view them as greenery instead of cycling infrastructure people will count them as "good enough" when I think we should be doing far, far more.

[timc]

I'm surprised they did not put metal bars around the ends like a lot of other crossings have. They don't exactly provide protection, but they make the island a lot more visible to drivers.

Years ago when I was on the active transportation committee, I was told that they stopped putting those metal bars in because they are an impalement risk.