Cycling and Active Transportation in Edmonton

[Daveography]

Guerilla bike lanes a sign of frustration argue advocates
A guerrilla bike lane installed along Saskatchewan Drive Thursday morning is a sign of just how frustrated cyclists in Edmonton have become, one advocate says.

Conrad Nobert, with the cycling and pedestrian advocacy group Paths for People, said the small bike lane is likely coming from a place of frustration.

“They are the symptom of a frustrated group of people who are being ignored by their city and who are being forced to ride in dangerous conditions,” he said.

The lane, with paint, pylons and tape, stretched about 200 metres along the south side of Saskatchewan Drive.

City crews quickly stepped in to remove it hours after it went up.

Nobert said the quick removal was insult to injury.

“The fact they can respond so quickly to a few pylons being on the road, but take years to put in any meaningful quality bike infrastructure kind of tells the tale,” he said.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Daveography]

Edmonton cyclists peddle plan for path on top of High Level Bridge to ease congestion
As city councillors pushed for answers on the High Level Bridge debacle Wednesday, the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society outlined a solution they would love: a new pathway above the congestion.

Open a path beside the streetcar tracks, at least for pedestrians, society executive director Chris Chan said, adding it would alleviate congestion and draw residents from across the region. “You would stay there, you would linger, have a picnic.”

“It’s so easy for anyone to imagine how great a space it would be.”

The new suicide barriers being installed on the High Level Bridge are going inside the existing fence, leaving the already narrow east pathway 2.3 metres wide. Chan is already hearing reports of injuries and many people have emailed city councillors to complain.

Pedestrians have complained they don’t feel safe and cyclists worry they risk catching their handlebars in the prison-like posts.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

 

[Daveography]

Idea to put bikes beside the High Level Streetcar surfaces again

SUPPLIED
This rendering, created in 1999, shows what the proposed pathway atop the High Level would look like.

Faced with present day problems cyclists face crossing the High Level Bridge, the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society is recalling an idea they had.

Back in 1990, that is.

The group is suggesting it’s time the city consider building a bike and pedestrian path on the upper deck of the High Level Bridge, which was first discussed in 1990 and then rendered by the group in 1999.

The suggestion comes after cyclists have expressed concerns about space on the busy bridge, after the city installed suicide barriers that have narrowed the pathways.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Das Ponto]

Speaking of cycling in Edmonton... The City seems to really like to take the mountain bikers beautiful single track and plow it down for more gravel paths.

"EMBA is aware of the Cromdale "trail improvements " the city is making to the Jasper avenue traverse trail. The loss of this heritage singletrack that was enjoyed by many is very upsetting. We are in talks with the city in regards to why we were not consulted, why they had to put granular double track over top of pre-existing singletrack again, and if they will work with EMBA to replace the singletrack. The precident was set when they did this in Terwilliger. If you have questions or comments for the city feel free to call 311 or your city councilors."

Before

After

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto Heard about that; very curious situation.

 

[Das Ponto]

@Daveography Yeah the EMBA community is a little upset especially considering they City said they would consult with them after they did this exact same thing to a ton of single track over by Terwillegar.

 

[Das Ponto]

Also a path along the top of the high level seems redundant lol. But would be a cool view from up top there!

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto Maybe but those new barriers have made the experience worse for pedestrians and cyclists both...

 

[Das Ponto]

Which barriers are you referring too?
Also another article

"Members of the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance haveexpressed concern about the city replacing a natural trail with a 1.5-metre wide gravel surface between 82 Street and the shared use path in Dawson Park.

The trail is the only natural link between the Dawson and Capilanobridges, and is one of the few north-side trails that connects to trails in the south, said Joe Yurkovich, director of the alliance."

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...upset-over-loss-of-natural-river-valley-trail

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto The new suicide barriers they installed on the High Level Bridge reduced the path widths by about half a foot with intermittent support poles. They have already caused a few accidents with cyclists. That's why they're now talking about additional paths across the HLB.

 

[Das Ponto]

Ah gotcha, didn't realize the new barriers took that much space away. You'd think they would have been able to incorporate a design to not impede flow on the paths. another fail if you ask me lol.

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto Definitely. Very disappointing and very frustrating. The city is somehow actually making it harder still to bike around, despite promises to make it easier.

 

[Daveography]

Engineering giant Stantec pitches trial bike lanes downtown
Edmonton could finally see a breakthrough in the bike lane stalemate with a business-led pitch to build a trial network downtown.

The engineering and architecture company Stantec wants options for its 1,700 employees moving into a downtown tower in 2018. It has volunteered to partner with the city on a $20,000 study to create a minimum bike grid downtown, similar to Calgary’s.

The new grid could go in with temporary structures, to shorten construction timelines and let Edmonton residents weigh in on the design before permanent lines or barriers get installed.

“It’s not a bad way to trial bike lanes,” said Coun. Scott McKeen, who is scheduled to introduce a motion to fund a new study at council Tuesday.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

McKeen looks to get downtown bike lanes open sooner
City Coun. Scott McKeen will push Tuesday for the city to look at creating a temporary bike lane on 102 Avenue and study a complete minimum grid through the downtown.

McKeen will ask for council support to spend $10,000, which will be matched by engineering firm Stantec to study a basic minimum grid throughout downtown and for ways to get the 102 Avenue lanes in place sooner.

The 102 Avenue bike lane, which council first approved in 2014, is currently unlikely to see constructions until at least 2020 and possibly later. The city was holding off for public consultation, but also because the lane would run alongside the extension of the Valley line LRT.

McKeen said cyclists understand any route on 102 Avenue would have to change when the LRT comes through, but that shouldn’t stop the city from putting in a temporary lane with concrete dividers.

“What they are not understanding right now is the length of time it is taking to get this done,” he said. “I’m getting a lot of push, a lot of upset from the cycling community.”

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Daveography]

This raised a massive stink on Twitter yesterday (I may have contributed to that stink):

High Level cyclists might have to dismount says Mayor Don Iveson if congestion problem continues
Mayor Don Iveson said cyclist could be required to dismount on the east side of the High Level bridge in future if congestion problems continue.

Cyclists have raised concerns about the tight space on the bridge since the city installed suicide barriers, beginning last year.

Iveson said the city is keeping a close eye on the situation, but they're optimistic it won’t be as much of an issue once the barrier installation is complete.

“Once that work is done and we have both sides of the bridge open again and we go back to a new normal, hopefully there is still room for all users,” he said.

Iveson said he believes the west side of the bridge will be fine, but the east side is a little tighter and if the situation doesn’t improve the city might have to ask cyclists not to ride across.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Das Ponto]

Good job, because that is BS!