Bikes, bikes, bikes

[SteelTown]

Ding ding: Bike lanes coming to Dundurn Street North

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...n-street-north

The city will install bicycle lanes on Dundurn Street North this fall.

Ward 1 councillor and cycling advocate Brian McHattie said Thursday the new lanes, between York Boulevard and King Street West, will not require the removal of street parking because there is none there now.

Installation of bike lanes on Dundurn South between Main Street West and Aberdeen Avenue as recommended by the city’s master cycling plan, caused an outcry among merchants on the street two years ago as parking spaces were lost.

McHattie, who made the announcement in Gore Park early Thursday as the city celebrated Bike to Work Day in honour of International Car Free day, said the city hopes to have the bike lanes installed by the end of autumn.

He said later the Dundurn North stretch will be “a little bit different” because there is no parking allowed on the street between King and York now, so there is no parking to lose.

Nevertheless, McHattie said, he will be presenting the idea at the Strathcona Community Council annual general meeting Sept. 27.

He will also be speaking directly with Our Lady of Mercy Lithuanian Church at Lamoureaux Street, whose members park on Dundurn during services.

The new lanes on Dundurn North connect to the new CP rail trail via Glenside Avenue, link to the existing Chedoke rail trail up the escarpment and provide access to the downtown via Herkimer Street, Charlton Avenue and Jackson Street.

The plan also says the bike lanes will connect to the McMaster Innovation Park on Longwood Road via the extension of Frid Street at the west end of Charlton Avenue and link to the waterfront over King Street and Longwood Road.

[NuclearNerd]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Ding ding: Bike lanes coming to Dundurn Street North
The new lanes on Dundurn North connect to the new CP rail trail via Glenside Avenue, link to the existing Chedoke rail trail up the escarpment and provide access to the downtown via Herkimer Street, Charlton Avenue and Jackson Street.

That's a bit disingenuous isn't it? The Dundurn St North lanes won't connect at all to the Dundurn St South lanes as far as I can tell. The block between King and Main will still be four lanes of impatient traffic. I'm a huge supporter of bike lanes, but sometimes I wonder if the piecemeal approach causes more backlash then benefits.

[thistleclub]

The City of Burlington recently finished its deluxe road resurfacing along Northshore Boulevard from the hilltop just east of LaSalle Park to just west of King Road (it's so smooth it's hilarious), and just last weekend they enhanced the bike lanes along that stretch with grip-positive green crescents at intersections along the north face, which serve as safety-forward highly visible alerts for cyclists and drivers alike and hopefully prevent collisions.

On a related note, considering how car-centric it is, the City of Hamilton should really post a highly visible breakdown like this on its site.

[fuller]

Bike lanes on Stinson!

Yesterday, bicycle lanes appeared on Stinson Street. I haven't looked yet but I believe they're also on Hunter Street, at least as far as the GO Centre, and on Wellington between Hunter and Young. At least that's what was in the plan.

[Duckyboy]

Originally Posted by fuller

Bike lanes on Stinson!

Yesterday, bicycle lanes appeared on Stinson Street. I haven't looked yet but I believe they're also on Hunter Street, at least as far as the GO Centre, and on Wellington between Hunter and Young. At least that's what was in the plan.

Ha! I was just about to comment on that. I noticed it as I drove into work this morning, but I forgot to notice where they end.

I don't ride a bike in the city, but I'm glad to see this as many do and it's a sign of progress as far as transportation goes. Good to see.

[SteelTown]

Rail trail is looking good so far...

[LikeHamilton]

Coroner launches review of Ontario cycling deaths

TORONTO Ontario’s chief coroner has announced a review into cycling deaths across the province.

Dr. Andrew McCallum says there is public concern about the issue of bicycle safety.

The review will try to identify common factors in the deaths from 2006 to 2010.

Dr. Dan Cass, regional supervising coroner for the Toronto West Region, will lead the review.

He will make recommendations next spring.

http://www.thespec.com/news/ontario/...cycling-deaths


The coroner’s office says 15 to 20 cyclists die in Ontario each year from injuries suffered on their bikes.

[SteelTown]

West-end link added to city’s cycling network

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...ycling-network

A trail is opening this week in the west end, providing both safer options for cyclists and the vision of a future cycling network spread across town.

The 1.8-kilometre trail, a $1.95-million project that’s part of the city’s Shifting Gears Cycling Plan, starts just west of Leland Street, will cross over the 403 and connect to Studholme Road by Chedoke Golf Course.

“I think the CP rail trail is a great sign of the city showing commitment to the bike plan,” said Andrea Kita, chair of the Hamilton Cycling Committee, a volunteer group dedicated to improving cycling in the city.

“It’s a multiyear plan which can be done sooner rather than later if there’s continued investment,” she said. “I think it’s important for the cycling master plan to be a priority for each ward.”

Ward 1 Councillor Brian McHattie said the trail is paved to offer greater accessibility and, since it is designed to be a year round pathway, will have snow removed in the winter.

McHattie said many local residents would use the Canadian Pacific Railway line as a trail illegally so it already served as a natural passageway.

“It was identified in the cycling plan as a connection that makes sense,” he said.

[thistleclub]

Public Works press release:

New Bridge to be Installed at Closed Portion of Chedoke Radial Trail

HAMILTON, ON – November 2, 2011 – Hamilton’s Public Works Department recently completed a comprehensive geotechnical investigation at the Chedoke Radial Trail which has been closed since August due to ongoing stability concerns. Based on the geotechnical assessment, the existing Bailey bridge near Chedoke Falls no longer suits the conditions at the site and a replacement bridge has been ordered.

The City is working towards having the trail re-established before year’s end. In the meantime, trail users are encouraged to use the alternate route by taking the Chedoke Stairs located between the Chedoke Golf Course and Cliffview Park at the corner of Upper Paradise and Scenic Drive. Barriers and safety fencing remain in place to mark the closed portion.

[SteelTown]

Cyclists don’t want to obey stop signs

By Andrew Dreschel

City Hall’s cycling subcommittee thinks it’s high time the province permitted cyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs.

In other words, they think cyclists should be legally allowed to pedal through stop signs without always coming to a complete stop.

Most of us call that a rolling stop.

But, to the cycling world, it’s apparently known as an “Idaho stop.”

The name originates with a law passed by the Idaho state legislature in 1982 that allows bicyclists to wheel through stop signs without coming to a full halt unless there are other vehicles at the intersection, in which case they’re supposed to yield the right of way.

That’s one of the changes the subcommittee wants to see the Ontario Ministry of Transportation adapt in order clarify the responsibilities of all road users and to encourage more people to cycle.

But, this Monday, councillors on the city’s public works committee applied the brakes to the idea, preventing the recommendation from being included in a list of suggestions to the ministry such as more lighting requirements for cyclists.

In defending the proposal, Brian McHattie, council’s rep on the cycling subcommittee, explained the Idaho stop makes sense because cyclists have better visibility than motorists and coming to a full stop impedes their momentum.

McHattie’s position dovetails with literature that suggests obeying stop signs puts a physical burden on cyclists and — in a bizarrely circular form of reasoning — removing the legal obligation would help diminish perceptions they’re always breaking traffic rules.

That didn’t ring any bells for other councillors.

Tom Jackson and Lloyd Ferguson both spoke against it, with Ferguson arguing cyclists shouldn’t be treated any differently than motorists.

Terry Whitehead worried it would open a “Pandora’s box.”

“I have some challenges and a lot of complaints with cyclists on arterial roads and how they don’t yield, quite frankly, when they need to, which is causing some consternation,” Whitehead said.

http://www.thespec.com/opinion/colum...bey-stop-signs

[coalminecanary]

If public works doesn't want people running stop signs (or "rolling" them so to speak), whether they are on a bike or in a car (both users are equally guilty) then here's an idea - STOP USING STOP SIGNS AS SPEED CONTROL DEVICES.

I'd like to know the count of stop signs in this city. THere are probably more stop signs than people.

[go_leafs_go02]

I bike on a quiet neighbourhood bike route on the mountain each day, and man, it's filled with stop sign after stop sign. plus if you need to get across busy arterials, the loops in the road aren't meant to pick up bikes to activate the signal, so you're stuck waiting or have to use the pedestrian button to get across.

I would love a more direct way that wasn't cluttered with stop signs at 50% of the intersections, and proper bike detection loops or push buttons that are easy to access by bike.

[SteelTown]

West Mountain almost all has four way stop but head over to East Mountain it's a different story.

[drpgq]

I remember when the Linc was built, but not opened yet. It was amazing how fast you could get across the mountain on your bike on it when you didn't have to stop constantly.

[Johio]

Originally Posted by drpgq

I remember when the Linc was built, but not opened yet. It was amazing how fast you could get across the mountain on your bike on it when you didn't have to stop constantly.

While I don't have the same privilege of remembering as you do, you do bring up a good point on cycling infrastructure on the mountain. Not only are stop signs an issue, the hills!

The Linc would be the only place for a cyclist to make it to the other end of the mountain without breaking a sweat.

[SteelTown]

Bike Lanes Winter Maintenance - Hamilton Pilot for 2011/12 Winter Season

During the 2011 - 2012 winter season a pilot project will test enhanced maintenance activities for a specific section of the "on-road painted" bike lanes to measure the benefit and cost of extending availability of bike lanes further into the winter season. The enhanced activities include additional inspection, ploughing, anti-icing, and street sweeping when warranted and feasible (excluding snow removal for the specific benefit of the affected bike lanes). This pilot project includes the bike lanes on Sterling Street, Longwood Road, Dundurn Street, and Sanders Boulevard. The pilot will be assessed and recommendations developed for future consideration.

To provide feedback on this project, please access the web survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/winte...anemaintenance <https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/winterbikelanemaintenance> It should only take about a minute to complete.


City of Hamilton Contact:

Daryl Bender B.E.S.
Project Manager, Alternative Transportation
Public Works, City of Hamilton
905-546-2424 x 2066
www.hamilton.ca/PedestrianMP <file://www.hamilton.ca/PedestrianMP>

[SteelTown]

Longwood Road EA...

http://www.hamilton.ca/CityDepartmen...l+Class+EA.htm

I like the idea of having two bike lanes separated. I see the same happening elsewhere, such as in Ottawa. I don't see what the big fuzz it. As a cyclist I would feel safer if the bike lane is separated from the main road.

[SteelTown]

Example in Ottawa

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Ottawa+...gl=ca&t=h&z=20

[fuller]

Separated bike lanes are great where there's room available to fit them.

When it comes to existing bridges, as in the example above, the most politically expedient option is to install outrigger bike lanes to avoid the loss of automobile lanes, which are usually under pressure already in those situations.

My concern would be that if we create an separate bicycle lane network, there are some who would then lobby to exclude bicycles from all other roadways. Certain people in Toronto have already proposed this. That must not be allowed to happen.

[SteelTown]

To install bike lanes along Longwood would require a new Longwood Bridge, there's only one skinny sidewalk on the bridge.