Beazley66
Active Member
I'm playing with concepts of extending look-outs along the bike path in Pearce Estate park. Just an exercise exploring the what if...
In "progress"
In "progress"
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Calgary Bike Lanes and Bike Paths
- Thread starter Cowtown
- Start date
For me personally, I cycle along that area quite a bit, so I would be happy with a couple of lookouts along the Bow, or even one nice fancy one like the one in @Beazley66's concept. 
Beazley66
Active Member
Thanks SP. I walk it twice a day, and my musing about wouldn’t it be great to just provide an opportunity to get out over the water. I’m working on an adaptation that is sited at the Harvie passage, kind of a fun over look to watch kayakers Work their skills.
Mountain Man
Senior Member
Gyms open again on friday, hoping that calms some of the traffic on the bike pathways. Been a very frustrating spring for cycle commuters, too many people out who don't know the rules and / or don't move over for cyclists. Great to see so many people enjoying the city's green areas though.
CBBarnett
Senior Member
Would be good to have a bit of normalcy return - but I hope we have officially converted a huge chunk of our population to a more active lifestyle. So many new people going for walks and bike rides, very good to see. All the new flexibility in sidewalk patios, all the extra pedestrian corridors and *finally* an official acknowledgment we don't have wide enough sidewalks and that "beg buttons" are stupid. Huge wins in a scary and uncertain time. I hope we keep the wins and build on them.
CBBarnett
Senior Member
Another thought: I think that the COVID disaster's silver-lining is a shaking off of so much of the baggage of how things were "supposed to be", particularly for public realm, parks and pathways. Every night I see small picnics in parks I used to not see anything, of people hanging out, eating, drinking. Very casual and unprogrammed. Like usual, fears of chaos and disorder are largely overblown in a world where someone actually just uses a public space the way they want - rather than restrict themselves to unsuspicious dog walking and avoid loitering wherever possible. People seem so much more willing to sit on benches, on the grass, hang in parks and just chill. Calgary always had small pockets of this before - but was always overwhelmed by the burden of "can't drink in parks", "it's too cold", "no one bicycles or picnics here" etc.
Many people I know would never have done any of those any outdoor but now do it daily - at first their response was "because we can't go to a restaurant or bar", to "it's so much safer and nice to be outside", to "why haven't we always done this? It's better, cheaper, friendlier, healthier..." Some friends who felt uncomfortable for cracking one beer at a picnic before have now sworn off bars and restuarants until COVID is over in a number of years.
Of course winter and weather do exist and many are will be happy to ease back into the way things were eventually. But I hope that we are seeing the birth of the next generation of active, un-programmed vibrancy in our outdoor spaces. This whole episode is a reminder that the restrictions we place on ourselves or on our public spaces through bylaws are really just an artificial construct. Human-made rules with outdated judgmental overtones and little intuitive rationale struggle to resist change when all the underlying assumptions of how things are "supposed to be" shift dramatically.
Many people I know would never have done any of those any outdoor but now do it daily - at first their response was "because we can't go to a restaurant or bar", to "it's so much safer and nice to be outside", to "why haven't we always done this? It's better, cheaper, friendlier, healthier..." Some friends who felt uncomfortable for cracking one beer at a picnic before have now sworn off bars and restuarants until COVID is over in a number of years.
Of course winter and weather do exist and many are will be happy to ease back into the way things were eventually. But I hope that we are seeing the birth of the next generation of active, un-programmed vibrancy in our outdoor spaces. This whole episode is a reminder that the restrictions we place on ourselves or on our public spaces through bylaws are really just an artificial construct. Human-made rules with outdated judgmental overtones and little intuitive rationale struggle to resist change when all the underlying assumptions of how things are "supposed to be" shift dramatically.
Mull
Active Member
Found it, answered my own question, much needed upgrade!
42 Avenue S.E. Complete Streets project
Mountain Man
Senior Member
So I think after making numerous 311 complaints and messaging city Councillors about it, the city is going to look at adding barriers and improving signage for the bike lanes on 11st SW. If anyone here uses that lane, I encourage you to reach out to the city and give your input. Personally I've had way too many incidents with cars turning in front of me (from both directions) without any clue I was there, and I think barriers and signs similar to the west end of 8Ave is part of the solution (and more bikes there as well).
The city gets lots of requests about the CPR tracks and the River 9th being obstacles to N-S traffic, but I don't think CPR is interested in an overpass at this point, so don't expect action on that in the next decade or more.
The city gets lots of requests about the CPR tracks and the River 9th being obstacles to N-S traffic, but I don't think CPR is interested in an overpass at this point, so don't expect action on that in the next decade or more.
Used the 12th ave extension for the first time yesterday. It's a nice addition when coming from Sunalta.
Mountain Man
Senior Member
So apparently Calgary now has 1000km of paved pathways in the city. That has to be #1 in the country, maybe the continent!
darwink
Senior Member
Cool!
I can't help but think that if we branded the nearly contiguous parts of the system which fed downtown and other employment centres differently, we would get a lot more credit nationwide and internationally for our network.
I can't help but think that if we branded the nearly contiguous parts of the system which fed downtown and other employment centres differently, we would get a lot more credit nationwide and internationally for our network.
Beltline_B
Senior Member
Calgary has come a long with its bike pathway system. Not only is the system extensive but they're well used.
Always_Biking
Senior Member
I noticed the counters along the river pathway are gone now, but they have the little black hoses, I’m assuming they are getting counts from those now. I’d really like to know the number of cyclist along the river pathways. I have seen so many more cyclists out there lately.
Always_Biking
Senior Member
That’s really a good mile stone for city our size. I’ve lived in San Francisco and Dallas, and Calgary has a better cycling system than those cities, even San Francisco which you would think would be one of the better ones. Calgary puts Dallas to shame when it comes to cycling infrastructure and pathways, that said comparing anything urban to Texas cities is low hanging fruit.
I have to say though our pathways are pretty awesome.
Nimbus
Active Member
While I don't see the temporary rubber hose ones on this page, you can view the other counters around the city here: http://www.eco-public.com/ParcPublic/?id=4190#