On Northland Drive N.W., from south of Crowchild Trail to 52 Avenue, The City is proposing dedicated bus/bike lanes. Installation of these new lanes is planned for the 2012 construction season. This dedicated lane, shared by Calgary Transit and cyclists, will be located on northbound and southbound Northland Drive N.W. These new bus/bike lanes will expand the cycling network through the Brentwood and Varsity area and connect cyclists to pathways on either end of Northland Drive N.W.:
- Bike lanes and on-street bike route on 37 Street
- Pathways on the east and west side of Northland Drive N.W., north of 52 Avenue
- On-street bike route on Brenner Drive
Public Engagement
This project is currently seeking public feedback. Please call 3-1-1 if you have opinions or suggestions for the proposed Northland Drive N.W. bus/bike lanes.
Drawings and Designs
- Northland Drive N.W. Bus/Bike Lanes Route map - Connections between the new bike/bus lanes and the existing cycling network.
- Northland Drive N.W. Bus/Bike Lanes - Proposed Design - Proposed Northland Drive traffic, bike and bus lane designs.
Roadway improvements
- As part of these new bus/bike lanes, the intersection on the south side of the Northland Drive N.W. overpass at Crowchild Trail will undergo a six month trial for a three-way stop configuration (indicated by all signal lights flashing red). If the intersection operates safely and efficiently in this configuration, stop signs will permanently replace the traffic signals for the three directions of travel: pedestrians/cyclists entering from the south, motor vehicles entering from the west, and pedestrians/cyclists/motor vehicles entering from the north.
- One motor vehicle travel lane will be removed on northbound and southbound Northland Drive N.W. to accommodate the proposed bus/bike lanes. Due to the number of traffic lanes remaining and the low traffic levels, it is expected there will be minimal impact to traffic flow.
The proposed Northland Drive N.W. Bus/Bike Lanes were identified in the Brentwood Station Area Redevelopment Plan.
Comments
Improvement..... ?
Submitted by DarrenB on
Great to see this improvement, but there are some scary design elements in place.
The traffic control suggested at the south end of the Northland bike route (flashing red lights) will be mayhem for drivers, and they aren't likely to watch or yield for cyclists coming northbound off the pathway (since they aren't on a roadway), so it needs proper lights, including a bike/pedestrian signal for northbound travel. I suspect that by law, cyclists trying to enter the roadway from the path either have to yield to all vehicles on the roadway (regardless of the flashing red light) or they must dismount and become pedestrians to cross the intersection before re-mounting and cycling again.
The intersection at 52nd Ave when heading north on Northland Dr is already scary in a car with all the people trying to squeeze right to go east at the high school, and that's going to be a dangerous place for cyclists for sure. And the integration of the bike lane to the pathway north of 52nd Ave is just plain ridiculous, particularly if you manage to go there when school gets out as that whole sidewalk and bus shelter are littered with distracted teens.
I see no meaningful way to cross Shaganappi except as a vehicle, but the traffic can really stack up there and people fly off Shaganappi onto Northland Drive, so those convergent lanes are going to be dangerous for cyclists.
I gleaned that from about 2 mins of inspection, so there are likely plenty of other issues.
I am very grateful that the City is starting to put cycling needs on their radar now, but honestly, I don't see where much thought went into the needs and safety issues of cyclists in these plans.
I don't think this will change my habits
Submitted by mercator on
Looking at the plans, the marked lanes will be nice, but I think I will continue to take the lane between 52 Ave and Dalton Dr. As Darren said, that sidewalk is in a ridiculous place, and new pavement won't help that.
As for the south end, when I come through there I rarely see much traffic so I'm not sure an 'all-way stop' will make much difference.
I had a conversation with a driver at the lights at Dalton Dr. a while back, he was complaining about my using the lane on Northland. I told him that if he wanted to drive fast he should be on Crowchild Tr. He said 'Crowchild doesn't go where I need to be', I replied that I had the same issue with the sidewalk.
Awesome reply!
Submitted by DarrenB on
Awesome reply!
Thoughts
Submitted by bclark on
I often use Northland. It's not terribly busy and most drivers yield the lane to me when I'm on there. I can see how the roadscape would be intimidating to an "interested but concerned" cyclist. I think the lanes will suit their intended purpose without causing too much conflict and will provide a link between the NW and University area. Northbound, my concern would be with the Shaganappi-Northland intersection. I've used the pathway often and it functions okay as a bypass for a busy intersection. Becoming a pedestrian to cross is a moderate inconvenience but I've never had a problem with crowded pathways when I go through. The bigger problems are getting back onto the roadway west of Shaganappi and the ice build-up due to groundwater seepage onto the pathway in spring. My personal preference would be for the City to continue the on-street bike lanes west to Dalton Drive, i.e. where Dalhousie Drive (formerly Northland) opens up to an on-street bike route. I'm not sure if this would be simple given roadway constraints. Curb-work may need to be done but it would make for a more effective set-up.
bikes are not pedestrians
Submitted by mikewarren on
I'm personally really annoyed that nearly every City project in the last few years has included repaving sidewalks to look like pathways. This isn't "cycling infrastructure" in my opinion!
This project is no different: asphalt sidewalks have replaced paved sidwalks paralleling Dalhousie Drive behind a chainlink fence, and "augment" the pavement between 52nd Avenue and Shaganappi. Great for joggers, Chariot-piloters, etcetera, but hopping off Northland on the gas-station access, riding on the sidewalk through 3 crosswalks and then making your own way back onto Dalhousie Drive cannot be called quality "bike infrastructure". To me, this is an attempt to finish a "bike project" cheaply without actually making any meaningful changes (i.e. moving curbs to make the bike lanes reach through the Shaganappi/Northland intersection, which WOULD actually be very useful). Eastbound is of course a disaster for cyclists -- is anyone interested in getting to a "wrong side" sidewalk-bike-path for two blocks, only to have to get back again to use a bus-lane? Taking the (downhill) lane is way more convenient and safer to me.
As mercator says, I don't believe *any* cyclist moderately comfortable on the road is going to change anything with this treatment. I *also* don't believe anyone already *uncomfortable* with riding on Northland Drive is going to change their behavior, either. In both cases, each user group gets a little more "official" treatment (which is nice) but I don't think this project provides meaningful improvement to any type of cyclist.
The City hasn't actually solved any problems here: busses are still going to be lined up for blocks in front of the two schools (now in the "bike bus lane" instead of "rightmost lane"), the intersection is still *just* wide enough to support the (car) lanes it has (so you'll have to force your way through the exit lane into the through lane, still) and they haven't really added any pathways (just re-paved existing sidewalks). A connector from Brenner to the intersection was added last year (or before?) already.
At the south end things are a little better if I read the dim lines properly: it looks like actual bike-lanes over the bridge! The way they've got cyclists not-merging in the off-ramp from Crowchild looks dangerous and non-ideal, but it's better than using the crosswalk.