Cycling and Active Transportation in Edmonton

[thommyjo]

What about when mode share shifts? How often will budgets be revised and what data source will be used?

Thankfully the census lines up alright with 4 year budget cycles. That’s one option, but not ideal.

More helpful is a citywide transportation study. Not sure how you get that to be cost effective and representative though. Sample would need to be somewhat large. And ideally would also capture not just the 2% number that speaks to “primary commuting mode by adults”, but also numbers on occasional use and kids/youth.

Our transit and biking numbers jump a good amount if you include 14-17 year olds.

The number I want is how many people bike 10+ times a year vs 50+ times. Cause that’s who will be most served by expansion of infrastructure. Vs people that don’t ever bike are a tougher convert.

 

[TAS]

For perspective, Montreal's spending.

A project of note:
This 18km 8 lane arterial roadway turning into a complete street with bike and bus only lanes in each direction aling with 2 vehicle lanes in each direction.

Info from Oh the Urbanity's latest.

Montreal not hesitant to run their bike lanes along commercial streets.

 

[TAS]

For perspective, Montreal's spending.

View attachment 692606

A project of note:
This 18km 8 lane arterial roadway turning into a complete street with bike and bus only lanes in each direction aling with 2 vehicle lanes in each direction.

View attachment 692607View attachment 692608

Info from Oh the Urbanity's latest.

Montreal not hesitant to run their bike lanes along commercial streets.

And Montreal's planned spend per year over next 10 years. Bike lanes account for about 6% of total transportation spend on roads.

Another nice transformation there:

 

[constance_chlore]

That spot on Henri-Bourassa is almost exactly where my friend in Laval used to pick me up to drive to fieldwork on West Island, where we'd get totally eaten up by mosquitoes. Good times!

 

[archited]

As I recall from my time living in Ottawa eastern Canadian mosquitos have the ability to lift people off the ground.

 

[johnnyboy]

As I recall from my time living in Ottawa eastern Canadian mosquitos have the ability to lift people off the ground.

They are bad, yes, but nothing compared to the "Labrador Airforce"

 

[TAS]

96 street lanes are in north of 119ave.

 

[Gronk!]

99 St north of Jasper Ave

 

[dkazzed]

96 street lanes are in north of 119ave.

I love that they protected it northbound, but cyclists will still be closely tailed southbound by drivers who don't care that there's a whole arterial a block west.

 

[TAS]

I love that they protected it northbound, but cyclists will still be closely tailed southbound by drivers who don't care that there's a whole arterial a block west.

I've been on this route several times during the past month and I don't really see many vehicles driving down 96st. Like each time I've been on it I can count on one hand for the 5 block stretch.

 

[BrettB]

 

[thommyjo]

Agreed. For the city to make such a big deal, piss off bike haters, then execute so poorly and disappoint bikers is frustrating.

Either do it well and spend your chips. Or don’t make a big deal out of it and just add in MUPs as missing links for renewals and missing link funding. To make all this press around bike lanes, only to create suburban paths with 0 protections at crossings and intersections, and full of conflicts with pedestrians, dogs, groups/strollers….it just doesn’t make sense.

How our district connectors like 95ave, 107ave, etc became MUPs when they’re meant to be core routes that anchor the entire network is beyond me. Can’t wait to bike 6km/hr and weave inbetween hundreds of high schoolers walking to Jasper Place and FX on 95ave next year….

 

[trevorhayden]

Danielle Smith pressed the city to downgrade the infrastructure.

 

[inclusion]

Agreed. For the city to make such a big deal, piss off bike haters, then execute so poorly and disappoint bikers is frustrating.

Either do it well and spend your chips. Or don’t make a big deal out of it and just add in MUPs as missing links for renewals and missing link funding. To make all this press around bike lanes, only to create suburban paths with 0 protections at crossings and intersections, and full of conflicts with pedestrians, dogs, groups/strollers….it just doesn’t make sense.

How our district connectors like 95ave, 107ave, etc became MUPs when they’re meant to be core routes that anchor the entire network is beyond me. Can’t wait to bike 6km/hr and weave inbetween hundreds of high schoolers walking to Jasper Place and FX on 95ave next year….

I've asked Councillors about Bixi a few times now, and the answer I get is always that Edmonton isn't ready for it or its an incremental process, as far as people getting to like bikes, and people barely like bike lanes, etc. It is not surprising to me that we've watered down the core routes as well. It makes me wonder if the strategy internally has shifted due to the changes in bike lanes and the political landscape. It isn't unique to Edmonton or Alberta, either. Definitely borrowed from places in the US where they are fighting bike lanes. I was talking to my wife the other day about how trains are so common even on the East Coast of North America, but have all but disappeared from here.

She recalls her aunt saying she used to take the train from Red Deer to downtown all the time. Insane how in a generation that shifted. Now, our society is fixated on cars. You'd think that one close call by someone running a red light would be enough for people to get on board with bikes or other forms of transportation.

 

[trevorhayden]

Public engagement on BRT, including a detailed design is open until December 5.

Option 2 is superior.