Yeah, another great way to get both sides angry at eachother. They should also state the savings in terms of health care from more people exercising and the studies that show businesses do better with bike infrastructure. Oh, but the poor parking authority where the cost to park downtown is one of, if not the highest in Canada. Really, $140,000 a year for them is chump change. I just love the media spin on things sometimes.
What do people think about the parking guy's idea to have shared bike/bus lanes?
I would likely ride in a shared bike/bus lane, but I doubt that it would attract any "interested but concerned" cyclists, and if that is the case, then there isn't much point.
I'm fine with shared bike-bus lanes given my own comfort level but there are concerns. I can't say this would be attractive to the 8-80 demographic the City is aiming to satisfy. I imagine it would be uncomfortable for an 8 year old, or the parent of an 8 year old, to be pedaling down something like Northland to school with a bus behind them. It might not be comfortable for the bus driver either. I might say a shared lane with buses is a 30-60% solution to providing bicyclists safe space on the concept of less bus traffic and the ability for the City to educate and guide their bus operators on safe use of shared lanes. In the Centre City I think sharing a lane with a bus might be more of a challenge, especially as the bus routes are on 5th and 6th Avenues and 4th and 5th Streets (are there any on 6th and 7th streets?) and can get quite chaotic during rush hours from my observation. That's not even to mention all the diesel exhaust when they pound it off the line.
Like said above. I would be ok riding in it, but the type of infrastructure we need, is the kind I would pull my kids in their trailer on. I wouldn't pull them in a bus/bike lane.
I like that the discussion is about the cost of parking spots. Ignoring the lost revenue to the parking authority, I expect that in terms of asphault and labour a lane of parking costs about the same as a travel lane, either car or bike. So how much free on-street parking space does the city provide for autos?
I'd be willng to bet there is more pavement dedicated to free parking than bike lanes, although I don't have any actual data to back that up. I wonder if the city publishes that kind of statistic?
I dislike it, and I'm sure bus drivers don't like sharing same lane with cyclists. Enough of a risk to each other. The cycling advocacy community must start preparing by collecting references to other studies in other cities that have measured the economic benefits of cyclists that bring in more walk-in business to retailers and front street services since cyclists have time to linger, shop and buy if they have nearby facilities to lock up bikes.
So more useful to think big vision and prepare to deal with local businesses who might complain bike lanes take away businesses, when it's the opposite. It will be interesting once the West LRT is open next year, how much car traffic will be removed from those corridors.
The Canada Line light rapid train line between Vancouver Airport and downtown (built originally in time for Olympics) now has a daily ridership of 100,000 per DAY. During Olympics it peaked to over 200,00 per DAY. The transit authority, TransLink reached their 3 -yr. ridership forecasts post-Olymics, within 3 MONTHS.
Every time I ride that line, I always see at least a few people with baggage, persumably to /from the airport..including myself. :)
I know this doesn't address the parking authority....but there are other ways to make money but they aren't thinking big vision yet. I'm certain a substantive facility to allow bike parking in downtown in Calgary for over 300 bikes (I made up this number ) that was maybe a leasing arrangement between City and private operator....? I have no idea how ecoomically feasible this would be. But in Europe we have used some self-serve locked bike parking faciltiies that use credit card payment....
I dislike it, and I'm sure bus drivers don't like sharing same lane with cyclists. Enough of a risk to each other. The cycling advocacy community must start preparing by collecting references to other studies in other cities that have measured the economic benefits of cyclists that bring in more walk-in business to retailers and front street services since cyclists have time to linger, shop and buy if they have nearby facilities to lock up bikes.
So more useful to think big vision and prepare to deal with local businesses who might complain bike lanes take away businesses, when it's the opposite. It will be interesting once the West LRT is open next year, how much car traffic will be removed from those corridors.
The Canada Line light rapid train line between Vancouver Airport and downtown (built originally in time for Olympics) now has a daily ridership of 100,000 per DAY. During Olympics it peaked to over 200,00 per DAY. The transit authority, TransLink reached their 3 -yr. ridership forecasts post-Olymics, within 3 MONTHS.
Every time I ride that line, I always see at least a few people with baggage, persumably to /from the airport..including myself. :)
I know this doesn't address the parking authority....but there are other ways to make money but they aren't thinking big vision yet. I'm certain a substantive facility to allow bike parking in downtown in Calgary for over 300 bikes (I made up this number ) that was maybe a leasing arrangement between City and private operator....? I have no idea how ecoomically feasible this would be. But in Europe we have used some self-serve locked bike parking faciltiies that use credit card payment....
And what about the savings.....
Submitted by Smokey Crow on
Yeah, another great way to get both sides angry at eachother. They should also state the savings in terms of health care from more people exercising and the studies that show businesses do better with bike infrastructure. Oh, but the poor parking authority where the cost to park downtown is one of, if not the highest in Canada. Really, $140,000 a year for them is chump change. I just love the media spin on things sometimes.
The head of the CPA made
Submitted by ryker on
The head of the CPA made $187k last year so I'm pretty sure this is a cash-hungry business.
Is it just me or is that
Submitted by birchy on
Is it just me or is that "pennies" when we're talking about the budget of a city of 1.1 million?!
Shared Bus/Bike Lanes
Submitted by amf673 on
What do people think about the parking guy's idea to have shared bike/bus lanes?
I would likely ride in a shared bike/bus lane, but I doubt that it would attract any "interested but concerned" cyclists, and if that is the case, then there isn't much point.
Fine with it
Submitted by bclark on
I'm fine with shared bike-bus lanes given my own comfort level but there are concerns. I can't say this would be attractive to the 8-80 demographic the City is aiming to satisfy. I imagine it would be uncomfortable for an 8 year old, or the parent of an 8 year old, to be pedaling down something like Northland to school with a bus behind them. It might not be comfortable for the bus driver either. I might say a shared lane with buses is a 30-60% solution to providing bicyclists safe space on the concept of less bus traffic and the ability for the City to educate and guide their bus operators on safe use of shared lanes. In the Centre City I think sharing a lane with a bus might be more of a challenge, especially as the bus routes are on 5th and 6th Avenues and 4th and 5th Streets (are there any on 6th and 7th streets?) and can get quite chaotic during rush hours from my observation. That's not even to mention all the diesel exhaust when they pound it off the line.
Like said above. I would be
Submitted by Tyrone on
Like said above. I would be ok riding in it, but the type of infrastructure we need, is the kind I would pull my kids in their trailer on. I wouldn't pull them in a bus/bike lane.
An economic argument?
Submitted by mercator on
I like that the discussion is about the cost of parking spots. Ignoring the lost revenue to the parking authority, I expect that in terms of asphault and labour a lane of parking costs about the same as a travel lane, either car or bike. So how much free on-street parking space does the city provide for autos?
I'd be willng to bet there is more pavement dedicated to free parking than bike lanes, although I don't have any actual data to back that up. I wonder if the city publishes that kind of statistic?
Not share with buses
Submitted by goforstars on
I dislike it, and I'm sure bus drivers don't like sharing same lane with cyclists. Enough of a risk to each other. The cycling advocacy community must start preparing by collecting references to other studies in other cities that have measured the economic benefits of cyclists that bring in more walk-in business to retailers and front street services since cyclists have time to linger, shop and buy if they have nearby facilities to lock up bikes.
So more useful to think big vision and prepare to deal with local businesses who might complain bike lanes take away businesses, when it's the opposite. It will be interesting once the West LRT is open next year, how much car traffic will be removed from those corridors.
The Canada Line light rapid train line between Vancouver Airport and downtown (built originally in time for Olympics) now has a daily ridership of 100,000 per DAY. During Olympics it peaked to over 200,00 per DAY. The transit authority, TransLink reached their 3 -yr. ridership forecasts post-Olymics, within 3 MONTHS.
Every time I ride that line, I always see at least a few people with baggage, persumably to /from the airport..including myself. :)
I know this doesn't address the parking authority....but there are other ways to make money but they aren't thinking big vision yet. I'm certain a substantive facility to allow bike parking in downtown in Calgary for over 300 bikes (I made up this number
) that was maybe a leasing arrangement between City and private operator....? I have no idea how ecoomically feasible this would be. But in Europe we have used some self-serve locked bike parking faciltiies that use credit card payment....
Not share with buses
Submitted by goforstars on
I dislike it, and I'm sure bus drivers don't like sharing same lane with cyclists. Enough of a risk to each other. The cycling advocacy community must start preparing by collecting references to other studies in other cities that have measured the economic benefits of cyclists that bring in more walk-in business to retailers and front street services since cyclists have time to linger, shop and buy if they have nearby facilities to lock up bikes.
So more useful to think big vision and prepare to deal with local businesses who might complain bike lanes take away businesses, when it's the opposite. It will be interesting once the West LRT is open next year, how much car traffic will be removed from those corridors.
The Canada Line light rapid train line between Vancouver Airport and downtown (built originally in time for Olympics) now has a daily ridership of 100,000 per DAY. During Olympics it peaked to over 200,00 per DAY. The transit authority, TransLink reached their 3 -yr. ridership forecasts post-Olymics, within 3 MONTHS.
Every time I ride that line, I always see at least a few people with baggage, persumably to /from the airport..including myself. :)
I know this doesn't address the parking authority....but there are other ways to make money but they aren't thinking big vision yet. I'm certain a substantive facility to allow bike parking in downtown in Calgary for over 300 bikes (I made up this number
) that was maybe a leasing arrangement between City and private operator....? I have no idea how ecoomically feasible this would be. But in Europe we have used some self-serve locked bike parking faciltiies that use credit card payment....