[policyenthusiast]

The 124 Ave local street bikeway where there is low traffic and bikes sharing space with cars and traffic calming being added, will connect NAIT, Blatchford and areas further west, with Delton and Alberta Ave.

There is a new crossing at 97st. The route west of 97st goes along the cemetery and is a pleasant, quiet ride.

View attachment 676705

Interesting that it's a physical map, was this from an event?

 

[TAS]

Interesting that it's a physical map, was this from an event?

It was mailed to area residents.

But to add to the confusion (my own) - even though it's just a painted lane on 96 between 111-119ave, when going on city website it DOES say the part from 119-124 will be protected with a physical barrier. So when I talked with city previously, it was going to be a continuation of the painted lane. They must have upgraded it.

So 96st is protected from 104 to 111Ave (McCauley renewal), then painted from 111-119ave, and then apparently protected again from 119-124st.

I wonder if they will go back and upgrade the painted portion.

 

[thommyjo]

What's a bit frustrating with this design, like a handful of others the city has done, is that cyclists actually don't love these. Why?

• Not 8-80, AAA infrastructure. It's still biking on the road with vehicles like the F350 that killed a lady in edgemont this week.
• It's not separated, meaning winter riding will still be impossible without perfect conditions.
• Speed bumps suck and are annoying for all road users

The lower traffic is great. But it feels like a waste to spend so much for what's still subpar to ride on. Kids and less confident riders will still use the sidewalks. Winter riders will still be at the mercy of snow pack and temps vs having a somewhat more reliable MUP or separated bike lane.

Not sure why they don't just do the same as 110st, 102ave, 127st, etc which are all bi-directional, on street, 1 way for cars, concrete barrier.

I still bike 83ave to gateway in the Winter. But never east of there until summer because of the exact design they're doing here (painted contraflow plus sharrows)

 

[TAS]

So 96st northbound from 119 to 124st will have a protected one-way bike lane that will be separated with pin-on curbs with flex posts spaced approximately 15 metres apart (pic below shows what it looks like).

Cyclists travelling southbound will share a driving lane with one-way traffic.

 

[Gronk!]

Why it costs so much more to clear snow from sidewalks, bike lanes than roads

The City of Edmonton spends close to the same amount clearing snow from 11,000 linear kilometres of roads as it does clearing it from about 1,500 kilometres of active pathways and other pedestrian spaces.

edmonton.taproot.news

 

[thommyjo]

So 96st northbound from 119 to 124st will have a protected one-way bike lane that will be separated with pin-on curbs with flex posts spaced approximately 15 metres apart (pic below shows what it looks like).

Cyclists travelling southbound will share a driving lane with one-way traffic.

View attachment 677318

Hate this. Would rather have a MUP

 

[thommyjo]

Why it costs so much more to clear snow from sidewalks, bike lanes than roads

The City of Edmonton spends close to the same amount clearing snow from 11,000 linear kilometres of roads as it does clearing it from about 1,500 kilometres of active pathways and other pedestrian spaces.

edmonton.taproot.news

Don’t love this article. The vast majority of the costs are eaten up clearing bus stations, plazas, sidewalks around parks, river valley stairs, etc. but the article is written like it’s “bike lanes vs roads”. I would expect better from taproot.

 

[TAS]

Hate this. Would rather have a MUP

I agree. But MUP are the most expensive infrastructure option though and this pin on curbs option is one of the cheapest. Tradeoff with this active transportation acceleration is to build network fast and cover as much territory and over time go back to these areas with something more concrete (pardon the pun).

That said, may routes in this acceleration plan are MUP.

 

[TAS]

Don’t love this article. The vast majority of the costs are eaten up clearing bus stations, plazas, sidewalks around parks, river valley stairs, etc. but the article is written like it’s “bike lanes vs roads”. I would expect better from taproot.

Thanks for noting where those costs in terms of clearing snow from active pathways mostly go.

These are some other key points.

"It costs about $178 per kilometre to replace, repair, and maintain active pathways, and $1,285 per kilometre to do the same for roads."

"The costs to clear different types of pedestrian infrastructure vary greatly, Dacyk said. To clear a separated bike lane, one staff member pushes a machine down the lane, and it’s done relatively quickly. Meanwhile, brick sidewalks or crosswalks, like those on Rice Howard Way, for example, require staff to remove ice using hard-bristle brooms."

 

[policyenthusiast]

Thanks for noting where those costs in terms of clearing snow from active pathways mostly go.

These are some other key points.

"It costs about $178 per kilometre to replace, repair, and maintain active pathways, and $1,285 per kilometre to do the same for roads."

"The costs to clear different types of pedestrian infrastructure vary greatly, Dacyk said. To clear a separated bike lane, one staff member pushes a machine down the lane, and it’s done relatively quickly. Meanwhile, brick sidewalks or crosswalks, like those on Rice Howard Way, for example, require staff to remove ice using hard-bristle brooms."

The business case can be made for municipally-operated flamethrowers.

 

[thommyjo]

Thanks for noting where those costs in terms of clearing snow from active pathways mostly go.

These are some other key points.

"It costs about $178 per kilometre to replace, repair, and maintain active pathways, and $1,285 per kilometre to do the same for roads."

"The costs to clear different types of pedestrian infrastructure vary greatly, Dacyk said. To clear a separated bike lane, one staff member pushes a machine down the lane, and it’s done relatively quickly. Meanwhile, brick sidewalks or crosswalks, like those on Rice Howard Way, for example, require staff to remove ice using hard-bristle brooms."

I hope the EJ or Sun doesn’t pickup and run with the framing of the article being the 60/40 split in costs or whatever it was.

This is when the “active transportation” language breaks down imo. Bike lanes shouldn’t be clumped together with manually shoveling snow from LRT platforms and river valley stairs

 

[YEG Bus Rider]

YEG Cycle Counter - Cyclist usage of Edmonton's Active Transportation Network.

 

[YEG imagineer]

The Rainbow Valley pedestrian bridge is now being outfitted with railings. It’s has got to be close to opening. Hopefully by end of September. And if the new Whitemud ped bridge can finish up too that would be a big missing middle connection filled.

 

[policyenthusiast]

The Rainbow Valley pedestrian bridge is now being outfitted with railings. It’s has got to be close to opening. Hopefully by end of September. And if the new Whitemud ped bridge can finish up too that would be a big missing middle connection filled.

The bridge over the Whitemud connecting Patricia Heights to Meadowlark has ~3 foot tall railings. I rode over it on a Lime scooter one evening and thought "wow, you can really easily die here".

 

[TAS]

First CityNerd and now another international speaker being brought into Edmonton to coincide with the election - hosted by Paths for People and Edmonton Transit Riders.

Anna Zivarts is a disability mobility rights advocate and mom who can’t drive due to nystagmus, a neurological condition that reduces her distance vision. She gets around by foot, bike, and transit in her home of Seattle. Zivarts is in Edmonton September 11-13.

People with conditions such as anxiety or PTSD can be limited in their driving as well as other chronic health conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, sleep disorders, diabetes and heart disease. Others age out, aren’t old enough, or can’t afford it. Some just choose not to drive for reasons including the environment and health.

“Altogether we’re a really large constituency but we don’t think of ourselves as a constituency because there’s so much shame and stigma around both disability and not being able to afford things and not being able to afford to drive,” says Zivarts. “And so there’s actually a lot of us who have very similar access needs. We need to get places without being able to drive ourselves and so let’s rethink how we can build our community so that it’s possible for us to participate.”

Here are details to sign up (free) for her public event at UofA on Saturday Sept 13 at 1:30pm.

A City for Life - Community Conversation on Inclusive Transportation

Our wildly successful City for Life event series is back! Join us for an engaging conversation with Anna Zivarts, a nationally recognized leader in transportation equity and accessibility from Seattle, as she challenges you to reimagine how our cities and systems serve those who can’t or don’t...

www.zeffy.com

On Friday Sept 12 at 9:30am she will be at La Cite francophone for policy discussion - various city transit, planning and engineering officials along with industry professionals and election candidates are attending. If you work in this industry space and would like to attend this particular event - please dm me for registration (again, no cost).