On Crowchild Trail S.W., between North Glenmore Park and 66 Avenue, The City is planning to install a two-way, physically separated bike lane, called a cycle track, for the 2012 construction season. As part of the Calgary Cycling Strategy, the cycle track will expand and connect to the cycling network in the Lakeview and North Glenmore Park areas:
- Trans Canada Trail pathway system that goes through North Glenmore Park and continues north along the Elbow River and south around the Glenmore Reservoir
- Bike lanes on 66 Avenue S.W.
- Calgary’s citywide pathways and bikeways network.
Public Engagement
Public engagement has been completed for this project. Please call 3-1-1 if you have questions regarding this project.
Drawings and Design
- Crowchild Trail S.W. Route map – Connections between the new cycle track and the existing cycling network.
- Crowchild Trail - Final Design – Crowchild Trail S.W. traffic and cycle track designs.
Roadway Improvements
The cycle track will improve mobility in the area as the design will provide pedestrians, cyclists and motorists with their own, separate spaces for traveling:
- Pedestrians will use the existing pathway
- Cyclists will use the cycle track
- Motorists will use new northbound and southbound traffic lanes
Due to the number of traffic lanes remaining and the low traffic levels in the area, it is expected there will be minimal effect on motor vehicles.
neat
Submitted by mikewarren on
I don't know the area very well, but this looks pretty promising. Short version is that they're turning one side of a divided 4-lane local road into a cycle track from 66 to glenmore and converting the other side to two-way traffic. Can anyone familiar with the area comment on the usefulness of the 66th avenue bike lanes? And this?
Why a cycletrack?
Submitted by DarrenB on
This route doesn't serve higher-speed bike commuters, and there is already a pathway servicing the lower-speed recreational riders, so what's the need for this project, particularly given the high expense? Wouldn't expensive, segregated on-street infrastructure be better placed to make connections for commuters in high-volume areas, like downtown or near the city's two universities or major business centres? Given all the missing connections elsewhere in the commuter and recreationaly cycling network, I am confused as to why this upgrade is necessary and prioritized for consideration. Does anyone know the rationale for this?
Because it was there.
Submitted by Brian Pincott on
Honestly, this isn't a priority. It was done because we had the opportunity to do it, as part of another project (upgrading the storm sewers), and to do it "for free". The recreational pathway is a problem, it is too narrow with no room to widen it, and it is in rough shape. So, as Water Services was in the area ripping up the roads, we saw an opportunity to add bike lanes here and along 66th avenue.
While this area is not currently part of the strategy, it is important to be opportunistic in adding any cycling infrastructure we can. We are doing the same along 50th Ave SW as part of the ATCO lands redevelopment. All of these added bike lanes were done within the budgets of other projects.
Glad to hear
Submitted by DarrenB on
Glad to hear this was an opportunity you were able to seize to get some free infrastructure! It is really great how many opportunistic projects are being implemented by the City in conjunction with road/transit projects. I hope we see more of this in the future as it is really contributing to substantive amounts of new infrastructure in the city. Kudos!
P.S. I love the bike lanes on 66th.
Sean's monthly night ride
Submitted by Richard Z on
Sean's monthly night ride went by there last night and I can confirm that the pathway is too narrow and crumbling.
This is super!
Submitted by row_wood on
This is super! The existing sidewalk is narrow, rough, and I frequently encountered situations where I had to almost stop to go around family groups. Lately, when heading northbound, my wife and I always just use the road, for the nicer surface and to avoid the 20 km speed restriction. That didn't work so cleanly connecting to the pathways when heading southbound, however. Hopefully the cycle track will have a realistic speed limit. I noticed the Water Services work, so kudos to the City for taking advantage of this.
Well Done
Submitted by SpeedyJ on
Nicely done Brian! If I recall correctly, Mia Burke used this approach early on in Portland, she kept her ear to the ground and was able to piggy back on work that was going to be done anyway. It’s all about the low hanging fruit, save the fighting and big budgets for the hard-to-get approved stuff when its time to join up and improve existing infrastructure.
A few thought on cycle-tracks:
I love on-street cycle tracks, they are the only 8 to 80 solution. You want kids riding to school? Cargo bikes? No helmets? No dog-walkers? This is the answer. This is the kind of infrastructure that would make your mom comfortable while riding a bike.
Keep in mind though, they must be done right. A two way bike lane on the side of a road is not the same thing. It is best to think of cycle tracks as being a parallel road for bikes (kind of like a service road along a major highway), that means separate traffic controls at intersections and the right of way across minor side streets and driveways. When riding alone I actively avoid a lot of ‘bike infrastructure’ since it requires me to give up my right of way for everybody else – dogs, cars, driveways, crosswalks, cross streets……….
Ideally the city would start by building a skeleton structure of continuous cycle tracks, much like the C-Train routes. This skeleton would serve major routes/corridors where you would never dream of biking right now (or at least avoid) –Crowchild, MacLeod, 9th Ave S, Centre ST. This would make for safe, convenient and Direct routes that are useful for going to work, school and shopping (aka utility). These major routes would be augmented by feeder routes where warranted, feeder routes would be much like the plan that is being rolled out right now – quiet side streets and on street bike lanes on streets that don’t intimidate riders.
A few thoughts about how we’re currently doing things:
I’m constantly annoyed that bike routes jog through neighborhoods and hit every stop sign (think about the route that parallels 17th Ave SW from 4th St to 14th St. There is a stop sign every 500ft along that route, it’s bloody tedious.
Why do roads max out at around 7% grades (yes I’m aware of exceptions), but it’s totally ok to build paths that frequently exceed 20% on major routes? Example – Centre St. N leaving downtown vs. the path that runs from the Princes Island Bridge up the bluff.
C-Train expansion and improvement seems like the perfect time to add dedicated cycle tracks that go somewhere with a moderate grade. Modest grade, overpasses the bypass major roads and intersections, established demand…….
Wow, that turned into a total rant.
North Glenmore Park road access
Submitted by 2wheeler on
I'd llike to see a good connection with the road around the park. I don't cycle on the pathways throught the park because of thier congestion and the speed limit on the road is 30 km/h, so its a great place to ride. Instead of forcing you onto the bike path at the south end of the bikeway there should be the option to merge with regular traffic.
Community has beef with bike lane - CTV
Submitted by bclark on
As per the story "Area residents are calling a new bike lane near North Glenmore Park an ugly, confusing, mess and say they want the city to put things back the way it was."
http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/community-has-beef-with-bike-lane-1.905493
Comments? Is it working for cyclists? Is the cited confusion due to a signage issue? Is the reason cyclists are described as still using the pathway because the configuration is new and people are still getting used to it?
it works but needs better signage
Submitted by critninja on
This "reporting" is complete bullshit. The segment opens showing a crash THAT WAS NOT ON THE BIKE PATH. It was a race running in the park and the obviously biased reporting used the crash to make it seem like there is a problem with the new cycletrack.
I took 40 people through the new lane on our full moon ride on Saturday night and it was great! My only request would be for the City to install a sign on the southbound approach to the area (from the path under the power lines) saying " NEW BIKE LANES" or something like that.
What is really happening here is the residents ignored the ealier public consultations and now they are complaining.
That segment of pathway is very narrow and needed to have bikes separated from people.
Give it a few weeks and everyone will have it sorted out.
Observations on Crowchild Trail cycle track
Submitted by metropetrolitan on
I drive this route twice a week as am in a dragonboat club (and occasional bike). I haven't heard a single person of the 40 or so people on the team complain about this project. I have heard more complaints from the dragonboat club that there is a lack of parking in the area to use the Calgary Canoe Club than the cycling lane conversion. My biggest beef with this project is that it just took a very long time to complete. The street width compared to volume is such that there is no impact to autos. IMO, cycling could be further improved by adding signage at parking access\pathway intersections for safety reasons. In addition, allowing onstreet parking in Glenmore Park would improve access to facilities like the Calgary Canoe Club to autos.
Lakeview newsletter about cycling issues (Crowchild & Glenmore)
Submitted by metropetrolitan on
The following article was written by Martin Halliday, Development Coordinator for the Lakeview Board and can be reached at (403) 240-3255.
"The Lakeview bike situation appears to have taken on a life of its own. As you recall City Council approved a $20 million budget to enhance bike routes in Calgary. The goal was to increase the number of daily users from 2 percent traveling by bike to 3 percent. To that end, we saw the City paint special lanes and signs on 66 Ave SW. You have probably seen other new bike routes around Calgary. Some of these changes received media coverage - specifically 10 St NW in the Kensington area. The signing which we see on 66 Ave everyday include diamond-shaped and 'No Parking Anytime' signs. The diamond-shaped signs are a regulatory traffic control device and if you are caught driving in the bike lane the fine is $172. The 'No Parking Anytime' signs are located sporadically along 66 Ave SW. I was successful in pointing out to the City that before installing No Parking signs in front of a residential home, Council policy requires that the homeowner sign off prior to any sign being installed. When you drive along 66 Ave SW, you will notice poles where the No Parking signs are turned away from traffic. On Crowchild Trail between North Glenmore Park and 66 Ave SW, we requested that the City take the easternmost northbound lane and convert it into a bike path with connections to the pathway network in the park and to the system in the Alta Link right of way. The City came back with a design which tried to address this however was unacceptable to the Lakeview Board for myriad reasons. At the end of the day all we were trying to do is create a separation between seniors walking on path next to the golf course and those cyclists who think they are on the Tour De Calgary. In a recent trip to Vancouver, I saw how bike travel can be safeguarded. The City of Vancouver had taken a travel lane on Burrard Bridge and dedicated it to bike traffic by using concrete sections. Something that could easily remedy our situation to give pedestrians a more desirable and safer pathway use. I applaud the Lakeview and North Glenmore Park Community Association Presidents for requesting public engagement on these issues. I am tired of talking about it and want to see some action. It would be outstanding to see the Crowchild Trail improvement in place before the bike season is in full swing. The City ought to remove the bike lanes on 66 Ave SW and construct a separate pathway on the south side of 66 Ave SW between 37 St and Crowchild Trail. The Crowchild Trail proposal is just common sense in creating a physical separation between pedestrians and bikes With respect to 66 Ave SW, I have witnessed cyclists and pedestrians going the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road. I would suggest that the special bike lanes have compromised traffic safety and has had no impact increasing the number of people using their bikes for work and shopping trips."
http://www.lakeviewcommunity.org/news-views-newsletter/2012-02-03.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
This is from the beginning of
Submitted by Richard Z on
This is from the beginning of this year -- so what ended up getting built is more or less what the communtiy asked for? (Or did they want to keep not two but three lanes for cars?)
This is my understanding that
Submitted by metropetrolitan on
This is my understanding that the community association representative had only requested the easternmost northbound lane be used. Whereas, the City of Calgary converted both lanes.
I was only able to find a single mention of Jeffery Brookman's involvement in the community in one article where he had volunteered for the Neighbourwoods program.
I personally believe if people have concerns about cycling infrastructure in their neighbourhood that they should be advised to speak with their community association, City of Calgary, and Bike Calgary. I don't think Jeffery's method of creating petitions and speaking with media is an efficient or effective way to communicate the public interest.
On another note, I was at the Glenmore Park when the cycling race was going on and heard a lot of cursing as the cyclists rolled by and assume it was due to the crash. Bob Grunewald of Bow Cycle and Sports may be able to provide more information on why the accident occurred ( http://www.tourdebowness.com/circuit_race.html ).
Some Pics of New Path (and need for Signage)
Submitted by Smokey Crow on
I think that this has been blown way out of proportion. I can almost guarantee the main issue is signage and that people don't even know this new path even exists. I never did until I read the article - I ride this section quite often and was just used the the way things were. If the city were to put a New Bike Path sign at both ends and added better markings along the new path it would do a lot to improve the situation.
Anyways, here are some pics.
These are the signs when heading northbound from North Glenmore Park. Painting on path and a sign indicating new path would be great.
A closer look at ramp onto cycle track. Great spot for a bike symbol.
I think most cyclists would prefer path on left if they only knew.
Northern end - rejoining shared pathway.
Northern entrance heading east from 66 Avenue SW. Is a tight turn in, but a bit of room to maneuver
Closer look.
This is the major issue! Nothing stating new pathway or that you have to take path on right to join the cycle track. Need signage and paint.
If you chose poorly. Ride down the grassy hill.
But if you chose wisely the ramp heading southbound onto new bike lane.
The old shared lane and new pedestrian only (left) and the new cycle track (right). I would say it isn't a safety issue at all but only a lack of communication.
Cycle Track Update
Submitted by Smokey Crow on
Just rode by tonight and noticed that work is currently being done to make the cycle track a bit more obvious to users.