Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I’ve seen only about a dozen or so Lime scooter users so far. My experience to date has been positive – the sidewalk users were travelling much slower than the maximum speed; the pathway users were staying in their lane. The one thing I did observe was someone rent one on a sidewalk and get into the cycle track going the wrong direction (8th Ave SW, where there is a one-way cycletrack on each side of the street). The oncoming cyclists easily shifted over to allow by.
I think like any new form of transportation, we will see a steep learning curve for both new users (for some people, this could be their first time on any kind of scooter) and for the general traffic flow.
I would have preferred that this motion was successful, but I’ll count as a win the fact the the City of Calgary council is having these discussions, and that the votes are getting closer and closer with time.
My request to all Bike Calgary members is to get involved with your local councillor – let him or her know what you’d like them to represent at Council, and if they are not a helpful voice, vote for (and provide support for) a councillor or candidate in the next election who better represents cyclists in Calgary.
Interesting little fact to through into the mix here – I heard from a reporter who inquired with the City how many cycling speeding tickets were issued last year – the answer was zero. Plenty of warnings, but no fines.
So the question becomes, what does a higher allowable fine accomplish? Better compliance? Cycling deterrent? Likely not a cash cow!
Again, feel free to use this forum to help solidify your position or test ideas, but at the end of the day, it is you submission to your City councillor that will effect a change. Get active in your local politics! The City’s webpage for contacting your councillor is very easy – give it a try!
Thanks to everyone for chiming in and respectfully expressing your opinions and suggestions. Bike Calgary will be writing a letter to the City of Calgary and we want to make sure we incorporate as much member feedback as possible. Please continue to offer your suggestions and references to useful information (e.g. the reference to the Winnipeg speed limit of 30 km/hr and lack of specified speeds in other cities).
The worst part of this air quality is that you still breathe it in a car, bus, non-AC indoors…
I find the parts of the pathways through trees and along the river to actually be better air quality. A gentle ride, avoiding deep breathing, seems to be nicer than being stuck in a car or bus.
Hey @crivak, there is a linkage from Calgary to Cochrane through Tuscany, into the Lynx Ridge area (adjacent to Watermark) and into the paved pathways in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. It goes through a private tree farm and some dirt track in the CN right-of-way, so the connection is not complete since it goes over private land and it technically trespassing 😉
It is not yet road bike friendly, but a cyclocross can easily handle it – hypothetically speaking.
I’m not sure about the thinking behind the lane jogs and any changes in that approach, but when Bike Calgary heard about the work planned for 12th Ave SW, our Infrastructure Task Group sent a letter to the City suggesting the extension of the cycle track, and highlighting that taking it to 16th St would allow a connection to the pathway system. We engaged the Sunalta Community Association and got a letter of support for the concept from them. We had heard the work was going ahead, but we wanted to wait until the City announced it (we know plans can change).
The BWTD breakfast was great – pancakes, sausages, and coffee! Everything I needed to get me started for the day. And the best part was running into SO MANY people I got to know through riding (and other things like climbing, environmental work, etc.). I love this community!
The whole ride from Tuscany is in great shape – even through Bowness Park, which usually holds snow and icy patches longer than elsewhere. They plowed the pathway through Bowness, and along the river valley paths, on Sunday and that seemed to allow the sun to keep it dry. With the low daytime highs in the next few days, that snow on the grass could be slow to melt, but at least it looks like th pathways and bike lanes will stay clear. Then we get to see how much snow we get later in the week!
The City of Calgary has done a great job of improving their pathway detours, and are now following a standard process of early notification, signage that can be read from a bike, and timing that minimizes disruption. Keep an eye on our news posts on the front page of the website for an article about this.
The map on the City’s web page does state that the work will end on April 7th, while the signs on the pathway say the detours will be in place from April 1st to April 20th. Perhaps there is a second phase of work that isn’t on the website yet. Things are getting better, but so often there is still room for improvement!
That’s a great point @charlie ! Here is a news article about the type of promotion you are suggesting:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/11/26/dutch-government-invests-extra-e345m-to-get-even-more-people-on-bicycles/Let’s make sure our politicians hear these suggestions and that their constituents care about cycling as a method of active transport.
Hey now, @2wheeler, your preference may be obvious from your username, but we don’t support “wheelist” comments on this forum 😉 Unicyclists are people, too!
Thanks for sharing your opinions – we really do pay attention to the feedback from our members when we develop a Bike Calgary position on this. We also try to take into account our overall strategy, input from collaborating groups such as Vision Zero and Walk Calgary (and others), and consider how our position would be viewed by the City and other road users.
Ultimately, we’ve decided that the old infrastructure (sidewalks and roads) didn’t provide space for bikes and speeds they travel. The City listened to our statements that people wanted to ride, and there should be safe places for them. Now that there are other shapes of vehicles that would like a safe and legal space in the City’s transportation infrastructure, we think there should be safe and legal spaces for them, too.
We recognize your concerns around path width (i.e. inline skaters) and have raised this with the City. We’ll have to see how the specific wording of the bylaw accommodates this concern. In regards to motorized vehicles, the separation is getting tricky, since there are so many vehicles with small electric motors. Again, this isn’t as much an issue of how they are propelled – more about speeds.
And if the cycle tracks get too busy, well I guess the City will just have to build more!
Thanks again for your input. Please continue to respectfully offer your opinions to help keep us informed!
Sincerely,
Gary Millard
President, Bike CalgaryHey @fuzz, great suggestions. We will raise this idea with Bike Calgary’s Infrastructure task group, and look into the correct City department. I agree, it’s not obvious which department would handle this. we have a few contacts at the City and will look into this.
Thanks,
Gary
President, Bike CalgaryThanks for sharing those photos @kerryv. It’s great to see employers supporting healthy choices for their employees!
With a beautiful facility like that, you might want to nominate your employer for a YYC Bike Award! We have a category for Best Business, based on how they support cycling for their customers and/or employees. That sort of parking and wash installation might put them in the running to win!
