Cycling in Waterloo Region

[danbrotherston]

Are you? Are you really curious? I doubt it.

But maybe I'm being harsh. If you are, like, actually curious, I'd suggest you read this book:

https://www.amazon.ca/Mediocre-Dangerous...1580059511

But for what it's worth, I've never seen a non-white person presume to speak for an entire neighbourhood before, and certainly not one where their situation (wealthy, detached home owning driver) represent a minority of residents.

Here is some good reading too, And it is Canadian, not American.

https://www.amazon.ca/Parasitic-Mind-Inf...158&sr=1-1

*rolls eyes*...I thought you were curious, this seems unrelated, unless you weren't really curious and were trying to be politically correct?

It isn't politically correct to point out the power structures in our society. In fact, the actual pernicious political correctness *IS* to oppose calling out those power structures.

[Bytor]

Caught this whine on Nextdoor 😂

So that Ian Graham person is claiming in the comments that his neighbourhood was never told there were any surveys or public consultations about the downtown cycling grid. However, if you go to the project archive on EngageWR, in the 663 pages worth of survey comments, there are a bunch by somebody using me handle "Iang", who suspiciously uses a lot of the exact same talking points that the Ian Graham from your screencap uses.


Quelle coincidence, non?

[ac3r]

"These bike lanes are poorly planned and barely used!" Maybe that's because they were/are still under construction? Lol.

[Rainrider22]

"These bike lanes are poorly planned and barely used!" Maybe that's because they were/are still under construction? Lol.

I am by no means an expert on what the best biking lane process would be.  However, I am in agreement with you that the product isn't really finished yet.  Once it is, and people start using it, they will adapt and become conditioned to use it as it was intended to be used.   We will always have drivers that will drive down a bike lane just like the people I have seen drving on the LRT tracks...

[cherrypark]

I feel like you can certainly have a differing opinion on what the downtown grid should look like or what the funds should be used to build. For instance, the comments by some in there about how other configurations might be better are not specifically wrong but I think discount the political impossibility (regrettably) to take away ROW from busy roads. No one seems to realize this is the reason the routes are on minor roads that "aren't busy with bikes" or off in nowhere land like this IHT to Central Station link. Take issue with your fellow citizens first before you rail on city planners.

However that doesn't justify the clearly (a) selfish anger about a road you happen to use being one-way now and what was probably a relation or friend who duffed their car on a clearly demarcated barrier; and (b) lack of perspective that the fact that the city *finally* invested in some decent bike infra downtown is somehow a major failure (meanwhile the Region is putting on a masterclass in mediocre use of funds with MUTs in no mans land on Victoria).

[danbrotherston]

I feel like you can certainly have a differing opinion on what the downtown grid should look like or what the funds should be used to build. For instance, the comments by some in there about how other configurations might be better are not specifically wrong but I think discount the political impossibility (regrettably) to take away ROW from busy roads. No one seems to realize this is the reason the routes are on minor roads that "aren't busy with bikes" or off in nowhere land like this IHT to Central Station link. Take issue with your fellow citizens first before you rail on city planners.

However that doesn't justify the clearly (a) selfish anger about a road you happen to use being one-way now and what was probably a relation or friend who duffed their car on a clearly demarcated barrier; and (b) lack of perspective that the fact that the city *finally* invested in some decent bike infra downtown is somehow a major failure (meanwhile the Region is putting on a masterclass in mediocre use of funds with MUTs in no mans land on Victoria).

I mean, what's the saying, don't let him live in your head rent free...I've never actually met anyone that was so much a caricature before...he literally claims to be an environmentally conscious progressive, whose solution to biking on Joseph was to mark one sidewalk for bikes only, and the other peds only. Like, this was his real suggestion. Because driving his Tesla around the block will cancel out all savings from people cycling.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

Caught this whine on Nextdoor 😂

So that Ian Graham person is claiming in the comments that his neighbourhood was never told there were any surveys or public consultations about the downtown cycling grid. However, if you go to the project archive on EngageWR, in the 663 pages worth of survey comments, there are a bunch by somebody using me handle "Iang", who suspiciously uses a lot of the exact same talking points that the Ian Graham from your screencap uses.


Quelle coincidence, non?

I find it incredibly hilarious that a resident of Joseph Street turned LEFT onto Joseph from Water (so he's admitting that he wanted to drive the wrong-way down a 1-way street), and he's so clueless about the construction that's been ongoing since the spring that he drove his tesla over a concrete medium 

lol

He has a point about the sineage though. I see people driving down the bike lane all the time.

[jeremyroman]

I find it incredibly hilarious that a resident of Joseph Street turned LEFT onto Joseph from Water (so he's admitting that he wanted to drive the wrong-way down a 1-way street)

Could it not have been a left turn from northbound Water St onto westbound Joseph St?

[danbrotherston]

The signage is pretty comprehensive, many drivers do start to drive in the bike lane, and quickly realize they shouldn't and exit or reverse.

But plenty of other drivers obliviously or contemptuously drive down the bike lane.

I suspect a significant portion of drivers simply don't ever look at signage.

FWIW, I think the design is good, it's obvious to me that cars should not be there, but I'm also familiar with this infra, I think most people will figure it out quickly, but there's a solid minority of drivers who never look at signs, and the idea that they aren't supposed to drive somewhere isn't an idea that ever crosses their mind. These same people would be driving in HOV lanes.

[ac3r]

I wonder if installing a bollard - even the flappy ones - at the start of the bike lanes would be enough to discourage people driving on them. I imagine it won't happen a lot, but all it takes is one accident because some idiot drove down what is clearly not a car traffic lane.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

I find it incredibly hilarious that a resident of Joseph Street turned LEFT onto Joseph from Water (so he's admitting that he wanted to drive the wrong-way down a 1-way street)

Could it not have been a left turn from northbound Water St onto westbound Joseph St?

Yes this is true, except I'm not sure what concrete he could have driven over - maybe the sidewalk? I assume he was turning left the wrong way because I think he lives on the corner of joseph and richmond.

[danbrotherston]

Could it not have been a left turn from northbound Water St onto westbound Joseph St?

Yes this is true, except I'm not sure what concrete he could have driven over - maybe the sidewalk? I assume he was turning left the wrong way because I think he lives on the corner of joseph and richmond.

I don't think it was necessarily him...he is probably giving a story of someone else.

Of course, I've also seen him lie more than once, so he might just be making it up...which would explain the confusing claim of "they didn't see the snow covered median" and "this will happen more in the winter when there is snow".

As for what concrete, if you are turning left from Water and onto Joseph and you want to turn into the bike lane, you will end up driving over the large concrete divider between the bike lane and the car lane. The divider is wide there to give space for the excessive turn radii, but if you are turning into the bike lane, you will be against the chord of the turn radii and thus very likely to run over the curb.

[dtkvictim]

This guy lives on Joseph and sees one cyclist use them per day? I often walk 1-3 blocks down Joseph in the evening and almost always see at least one cyclist. Even yesterday during the heavy snow I saw 2 and I only walked the distance between Gaukel and Water...

I still maintain that the crossing at Gaukel is serious injury in the making though.

[dtkvictim]

And speaking in winter cycling, does anyone have any tips or good guides? Particularly about 1) bike maintenance and 2) dealing with a snow/salt/slush covered bike in an apartment.

[danbrotherston]

This guy lives on Joseph and sees one cyclist use them per day? I often walk 1-3 blocks down Joseph in the evening and almost always see at least one cyclist. Even yesterday during the heavy snow I saw 2 and I only walked the distance between Gaukel and Water...

I still maintain that the crossing at Gaukel is serious injury in the making though.

I can see why you think that, but---and this could be totally temporary---I am amazed how slowly most drivers go through this area. It really shows how good an actual 30km/h could be for our city.

As for the guy on Joseph...yeah...something something drivers don't see the cyclists they hit.