Me too. I love the cycle lanes that are flat the whole way through. I'd rather have seen a cycle lane like the ones downtown.
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Calgary Bike Lanes and Bike Paths
- Thread starter Cowtown
- Start date
Mountain Man
Senior Member
CP Police are starting to ticket people $600 for walking beside the tracks in Edworthy. Normally I'd applaud this, but there are some really great trails there west of Edworthy.
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgaria...g-beside-edworthy-park-train-tracks-1.5892225
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgaria...g-beside-edworthy-park-train-tracks-1.5892225
Cycled down the 11th street cycle track….I think this might be the first time I’ve used it. Not sure.
I’m not a fan of all the curves, but it’s still better than the painted lines. It’d be nice if the city kept all the cycle tracks consistent.
Painted line bike lane on 15th….I guess it’s better than nothing. I don’t use cycle lanes on 14th or 15th very much, as I find car still don’t seem to know how to use the road and the lanes. Just before I turned onto this 15th Ave., lane there was a car driving down the road half in the bike lane and a half on the road
you can still see the car in the pic.
I’m not a fan of all the curves, but it’s still better than the painted lines. It’d be nice if the city kept all the cycle tracks consistent.
Painted line bike lane on 15th….I guess it’s better than nothing. I don’t use cycle lanes on 14th or 15th very much, as I find car still don’t seem to know how to use the road and the lanes. Just before I turned onto this 15th Ave., lane there was a car driving down the road half in the bike lane and a half on the road
you can still see the car in the pic.
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kora
Active Member
The curving bike lanes just discourages cycling down that road. I know they want to preserve on-street car parking for the retail spaces but then put the bike lane on the left side of the parked cars so at least the bike lane doesn't curve. They don't curve the sidewalk or the car driving lane. So why are cyclists treated worse than other transportation modes.
darwink
Senior Member
Being replaced by a cycle track, eventually. Not sure if it is funded.
MichaelS
Senior Member
Wasn't the one way direction of 14th and 15th initially meant to be temporary to accommodate transit while 17th Ave was closed for the utility and streetscape construction?
I recall that being the case.
Another gripe regarding cycling infrastructure. Painted lanes aren’t great but at least they delineate a lane. Then there are those useless chevrons, that sometimes seem to do more harm than good. Like, what’s the point? 
lemongrab
Active Member
Left side would put you into the door zone (and people struggling to park zone). Right side is actually pretty well protected from passenger doors.
The curves are somewhat mitigated by the fact that 2/3 of those intersections are 4-way stops (though this may make them feel more like 6-way stops). But that also makes me question the general suitability of the route for this kind of infrastructure, especially considering how it fizzles out at the south end at 16th ave (the plan shows a very short westbound protected lane that merges into a sharrow situation) - or the T intersection at 17th is inevitably a bit messy if you want to continue south.
I think it's pretty darn hard for a street to do everything well:
1. Pedestrians
2. Vehicle traffic
3. Vehicle parking
4. Cyclists
If you're not willing to compromise on 2 and/or 3, then don't bother with #4 (instead look for parallel options as close as possible). Make the pedestrian experience as good as possible to accommodate a cyclist walking their bike for a block if necessary.
It's hard to achieve consistency throughout the entire city, but segments themselves should at least be consistent - based on the plans the NB lanes are completely different - mostly raised pathways until just before 12 ave.
MichaelS
Senior Member
So why not just revert back now that 17th is done and transit can operate on it again?
lemongrab
Active Member
Maybe because this way leaves room for a wheeling lane?
An idea I'd like to see tested:
- 1-way traffic
- Parking on both sides of the road
- 1-way bike lane runs right down the middle of the road (ideally painted green)
- Median islands every block (or every other block) that force vehicles to turn off but let cyclists free flow straight through
- 'No Passing Cyclists' signs (cars wouldn't be slowed for more than a block)
Market these as Cycling Roads that accommodate local vehicle traffic only.
I think we need to work towards more peaceful coexistence between cars and bikes on the roadway with more physical protection at intersections (less busy intersections at that); our current approach is the exact opposite where we make everything safer until the most dangerous part (intersections + driveways/alley entrances)
darwink
Senior Member
The consultation last for 14th and 15th is already done. An option has been selected.
14 & 15 Avenue S Mobility Improvements
www.calgary.ca
lemongrab
Active Member
I didn't necessarily mean for 14th/15th (though I see how my post reads that way).The consultation last for 14th and 15th is already done. An option has been selected.
14 & 15 Avenue S Mobility Improvements
My idea is more for areas like Killarney, Mt Pleasant, etc. Or to the earlier post, instead of the half-baked mess on 11 st, use 12 St to make something that actually flows + continues further south for cyclists, and focus on peds on 11th.
I suppose my argument is that the last block or two of a cycling trip to access services is inevitably a bit clumsy no matter what infrastructure is built. Improving the pedestrian experience improves that clumsiness. Make the actual cycling experience better+faster by taking it to a less busy road, even if it adds 1 extra block to the final phase of getting to your destination.
Lastly, to the 11st example, I think you could also activate the 'avenue side' of each corner with bike-parking, or better yet Bike-sharing (ideally where the dumpsters are, but south side of the street would be fine)
I forgot to post this from the other day . The connection over the tracks 10th ave and then on to the 12th ave cycle track is done. Nice to see these little upgrades 
Mountain Man
Senior Member
Still a bit clumsy but much better than the very dangerous bike lanes on 11st!