Calgary Bike Lanes and Bike Paths

[BrandedBlue]

If the reveal is done by summer as per their website when will construction start?

I believe this project showed up on the wish list for the City’s 10 year capital plan (not funded yet). So it would need to get construction funding in the next 4-year budget this coming fall, and then would start in summer 2027 at the very earliest. Except for maybe Horton Road as that one is tied to other infrastructure that needs replacing, so it could start sooner.

 

[The ChosenOne]

I believe this project showed up on the wish list for the City’s 10 year capital plan (not funded yet). So it would need to get construction funding in the next 4-year budget this coming fall, and then would start in summer 2027 at the very earliest. Except for maybe Horton Road as that one is tied to other infrastructure that needs replacing, so it could start sooner.

Wow I will probably move out of this part of the city by then, sadly wont experience the benefits of this project.

 

[KrisYYC]

I see people do it from time to time, yesterday being the most recent time. There was literally no room to fit all waiting passengers, but some dude was trying to ram his way in with his bike.

Ah bummer.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Ah bummer.

Just ride your bike to a station closer to the entrance to downtown than the exit. Go on with your bike and boom, you're on at rush hour with your bike.

 

[KrisYYC]

Just ride your bike to a station closer to the entrance to downtown than the exit. Go on with your bike and boom, you're on at rush hour with your bike.

It's actually the morning commute that would be the issue. I'd be boarding the red line from South Calgary at around 8am. I actually don't work downtown but taking the train downtown then bike commuting from there is what I'm trying to accomplish this summer on some days. Coming home it will be off peak hours so no issue there. The whole commute on bike would be 44km which I can ride but that would be gruelling doing that, then working a full day, then riding 44km home again.

 

[Surrealplaces]

I think coming into downtown in the morning with the bike might not be an issue. It seems to be less busy in the morning than that later rush hour.

 

[outoftheice]

Video on bike lane advocacy in a Calgary context

 

[Harpz]

It's actually the morning commute that would be the issue. I'd be boarding the red line from South Calgary at around 8am. I actually don't work downtown but taking the train downtown then bike commuting from there is what I'm trying to accomplish this summer on some days. Coming home it will be off peak hours so no issue there. The whole commute on bike would be 44km which I can ride but that would be gruelling doing that, then working a full day, then riding 44km home again.

Would a folding bike help? Has anyone used them for multi-modal commutes in Calgary?

I have one to take in my car places. It has 20" wheels, but the 16" ones would probably be better for transit.

 

[KrisYYC]

Would a folding bike help? Has anyone used them for multi-modal commutes in Calgary?

I have one to take in my car places. It has 20" wheels, but the 16" ones would probably be better for transit.

I'd be riding to and from Downtown and the Airport so I'm not sure a folding bike would cut it.

 

[trtcttc]

Opening of new bike lanes in northwest Calgary sparks intense debate | Globalnews.ca

It is an issue that has divided many Canadian communities and now the debate over bike lanes has sparked fierce debate in the northwest Calgary community of Sunnyside.

globalnews.ca

“Entwisle said the addition of large concrete barriers separating the road from the bike lane has also removed a significant portion of the parking that’s available in the area.”

Yes, see all the cars that can no longer park here. What a shame. Bike lane that makes walking/wheeling more pleasant and keeps almost all the parking and vehicle lanes (still two way traffic with parking on both sides of the road). Some people can complain about anything.

 

[Mr.Wonderful]

Entwisle said "I am a NIMBY but I can't come out and say that, so I am going to disguise it as a parking and mobility issue instead; won't somebody think of the elderly!!! Oh and I've ridden a bike for leisure a nondescript number of times so my opinion is very valuable. Instead, we should have installed painted bike lanes in the door zone, fixing nothing about speed on the street, then complained when cyclists continue vehicular cycling, and complain again about the waste of tax money when the paint is removed. There's alternate ways where we can pretend to fix the problem without impeding vehicle traffic in any way like speed signs that'll get ignored so people can go as fast as they want without having to see those darned cyclists."

/rant. Disappointing to see the news gives platform for opinion without much fact.

 

[trtcttc]

This image from the Global article shows just how much effort the city put in to save a few precious spots. When I passed by here I thought the signs must be temporary but looks like in order to preserve like 3 spots, we've littered the street with 6 double sided signs. And the reason why there has to be cut out in the lane is because the residents either have a drive way or it's the exit of a laneway (this is on 7th ave which is oriented differently than 2nd, but connected). Even then, someone can complain about parking? How do you look at this image and say the city didn't do as much as possible to save these "precious" parking spots.

 

[Mr.Wonderful]

They've definitely put in the effort to save the parking and mitigate resulting pushback. From this image, it looks like everywhere you could park against the curb can be parked at against the bike lane barrier, save for the new curb extensions at intersections which would likely have been installed during any street renovation, bike lane or not.

The signs seem like a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation, with the city opting to cover their ass and clutter the street with signs to avoid residents unjustly blaming the bike lane for blockages to their driveways. It seems like an unnecessary double standard though, 'no stopping' signage isn't necessary to prevent driveway blockages when parking directly against the curb, but it's been deemed too confusing for motorists to not park in a gap in the barrier when the reason for the gap (driveway/laneway) is going to be obviously present 4 feet away across the bike lane. But alas with Mr. Entwisle roaming the streets of Sunnyside, I guess the city can never be too safe.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Not to bring this into this thread but having recently been to to Europe, I cannot believe the race to the bottom that we conduct here with stuff like bike lanes and parking. If you're too stupid to figure out, you can't park in someone's driveway then you have to deal with the consequences of getting your car towed. Again, driving is not a right it is privilege, if you cannot figure out the basics then you should not be driving. Too often we end up mitigating for every idiot and end up with messes like this.

2nd Street SW is the same. In two blocks, on one side of the street there are over 25 signs. We need to do better.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Sometimes I wish Calgary was split into two semi-autonomous cities - inner Calgary and outer Calgary, let's them Calgary, Urbgary and Burbgary

Urbgary would be roughly a 5km radius from the center of downtown. In Urbgary, blanket zoning is still in effect, there is a focus is on a bike lanes, pedestrian path networks and maybe even the revival of the old Beltline streetcar line. The rest of the city, Burbgary can be as suburban as they want to be, and pay for it however they see fit.