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Deerfoot has signs indicating no bikes at all on ramps. It’s my understanding that Deerfoot has a special legal designation allowing the Province to prohibit cycling. That doesn’t necessarily apply to the Ring road.
If they do try and prohibit cycling we could argue that they must make reasonable alternatives routes, which in this case I don’t think they have.
Well then we’d better start advocating with the Province and City to make sure that our access isn’t taken away!. Hey Bike Calgary, is this on your radar?
I’ve ridden the shoulder of 201 south several times since the latest construction changes, to access Fish Creek Blvd and over to 37th Street SW. I’ve been riding across that bridge since it was built, there is no indication that bicycles aren’t allowed to use it. The shoulder is decently wide and with current construction the speed limits are a little lower. It would be nice if they’re was a “share the road” or “watch for cyclists” and stencils to confirm our ability to use that section.
The last time I rode 37th Street to the south we discovered that the road had been excavated around 22X and it was no longer connected. A short hike through the muddy construction and sprint across 22X took us to the South side of 22 X. Not ideal with cycling shoes!
So much effort has gone into the Rotary/Mattamy Greenway paralleling the ring road I’m a little surprised that no effort has been made in this part of the City. It seems that anything South of Fish Creek Park isn’t considered for cycling infrastructure.
I ride the shoulder of the 201 (Ring Road) South from Buffalo Run Blvd. across Fish Creek and up the hill to Fish Creek Blvd. and rejoin 37th street. I certainly hope I’m not breaking any laws as that is the only way to navigate by bicycle without a huge detour.
Now they’ve completely removed 37th street so that you can’t cross 22X to the other side (to 96th St SW).Since 37th Street has been excavated does anyone know if you can go one block west to 53rd St and use this to cross 22X? It look to me like this is a City of Calgary area.
You can also go down through Fish Creek Park and take a pathway east then south to emerge on James Mckevitt. You can take this south to cross 22 X but as I said it’s a very large detour with some congested riding on the Fish Creek pathways. Not ideal for a road ride.
I agree that the Province is really remiss on providing safe passages around the Ring road for pedestrians and cyclists. Is the Ric McIver’s doing? He’s been a pain in cyclists butt’s for an eternity!
They’ve reopened the Elbow River pathway beside the LRT bridge at the Erlton station. The project was to replace the existing LRT bridge, but they’ve also taken the opportunity to improve the pathway under the bridge.
The old pathway was a steep climb heading east, and could be a problematic downhill if icy, heading west. The grade has been halved and makes for a much more gentle climb. Bravo to the city.
The sightlines are still pretty bad at the moment with the construction fences blocking a clear view; but this should improve once complete.
Without a doubt there are more people cycling the summer than ever before. The crowds of people cycling on the pathways and road lanes is obvious. If you compare the number of people cycling this summer compared to 5, 10 or 20 years ago there has been several step changes in numbers.
Here’s hoping that the City realizes that if suitable infrastructure is present many Calgarians will choose to cycle. Why not permanently designate some lanes of roads to bikes only?
I personally don’t really like riding on the shoulder of busy highways. Too much noise, dust, and gusts from the vehicles. Cars and trucks passing you at 120 kph isn’t very nice. I always prefer to find the quietest roads, even if there is no shoulder. Fewer cars mean a more enjoyable experience for me. The interchanges of the big freeways are especially poorly designed for cyclists.
If you want to get out to Chestermere the Canal pathway is a very pleasant way to go, if bumpy in a couple of spots. It starts at the Bow Waters Canoe Club and flows the canal from there to Chestermere.
Bike shops are open, if that’s what you’re looking for. I was perusing a new bike on the weekend. No commitments yet.
I haven’t been back since I visited the Dam last week. Way too many people! The Weaselhead is my usual route to access rides south of Calgary from downtown, but now I’m just taking Elbow drive.
The problem I personally have with complaining about pathway maintenance overall is that it’s just so much better than it was 10-15 years ago. We have so much more plowing now, so many more clear trails to ride all winter long. But yes, there is room for improvement.
I know it’s not perfect by any means and sometimes I shake my head when the plow leaves a giant pile of snow right in the middle of the pathway, or forgets to plow the steep hill under a bridge. Those Great Lakes that have formed this year in various places are hard to avoid once they develop. But it has steadily been getting better year over year.
RR is correct that Calgary’s near constant melt freeze cycles mean you must be constantly vigilant. Morning ride, to afternoon, to the next morning can be an entirely new ride.
Agreed, much better clearing on the south side of the river too. I HATE when the plow leaves a pile of snow at the end of it’s path. I have a couple of low underpasses and some years the plow operator left a giant pile of snow square in the middle of the pathway. Not good!
I totally agree with your assessment of the snow clearing after the past snow event. The pathway around Repsol Centre and along the Elbow River was left until it had packed down, then warmed up and finally when it froze down to ice the crews tried to clear it. Now, even after 5 days of warm Chinook weather there is still a hard layer of ice covering most of the pathway. It’s going to be there for a while.
It seems to me like every year is the same. The snow removal crews early in the season aren’t good at getting the snow off down to asphalt. Maybe it’s all new operators? Whatever the reason they really need to do a better job early in the season because if not the icy mess left can stick around well until spring!
Winter studs – 100% a personal choice. There have been a few winters in Calgary when I haven’t used studs at all; the snow comes late and doesn’t really stay on the pathways much. Even with a little snow a regular Cross tire is fine. However some winters heavy snow packs down into icy ruts and roads and pathways are treacherous. Studs are a great solution to terrible road conditions.
Some routes near the downtown are very well maintained, but this does change form year to year depending on the contractor and weather. If you’re lucky enough to be riding these pathways and roads you probably won’t need studs.
I personally would wait until you absolutely have to put on studs to ride safely. They’re so damn inefficient and noisy! I’ve got a 10 year old set of the Winter marathons and they’ve done pretty well for those times when it’s just too sketchy for rubber.
