12th Ave Cycle Track Lane Insanity

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by JfuckinC
lol my friend keeps snap chatting me videos and pics of him long boarding in the bike lane to piss me off

Still hate it

Tell him that's against city bylaws.

[schocker]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin
Tell him that's against city bylaws.

I'm just going to start bringing my skateboard downtown. How can they ticket me if the cop cars can't fit in the bike lane!!!!!!!

[Mitsu3000gt]

I noticed something else while driving down 12th last night. There are separate turn lights if you want to go North into any of the streets. The lights are red while the 12th ave lights are green, so you can no longer just make an easy left turn on the green light (which are green most of the time since it's a main road), you need to sit there and wait, because god forbid you turn across the empty bike lanes. There are also signs that say bikes have the right of way. It's just so bad.

[lasimmon]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I noticed something else while driving down 12th last night. There are separate turn lights if you want to go North into any of the streets. The lights are red while the 12th ave lights are green, so you can no longer just make an easy left turn on the green light (which are green most of the time since it's a main road), you need to sit there and wait, because god forbid you turn across the empty bike lanes. There are also signs that say bikes have the right of way. It's just so bad.

This. This right here is the reason this whole thing is just complete shit.

In what world is it acceptable I can't make a left turn on a green light because of a god damn bike lane?

[speedog]

So let me get this straight, if there's only 2 E-W lanes on 12th Ave (ignoring the RH parking lane) does that mean 1 of those 2 lanes will be backed up because someone can't turn left leaving a very real possibility of only 1 clear through lane?

[lasimmon]

Originally posted by speedog
So let me get this straight, if there's only 2 E-W lanes on 12th Ave (ignoring the RH parking lane) does that mean 1 of those 2 lanes will be backed up because someone can't turn left leaving a very real possibility of only 1 clear through lane?

I may be wrong but there is also left hand parking lanes so it can be down to 1 through lane with the left and right parking lanes full.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by speedog
So let me get this straight, if there's only 2 E-W lanes on 12th Ave (ignoring the RH parking lane) does that mean 1 of those 2 lanes will be backed up because someone can't turn left leaving a very real possibility of only 1 clear through lane?

As far as I can tell, yes that is correct. I very nearly rear ended someone last night on my trip to the gym (which now takes approximately triple the time), because I was in the second left most lane, and people were stopped there waiting to turn in places where nobody ever had to stop before.

You can also park on the side of the bike lane, so it's even worse, because that is one of the turning lanes if you want to go North. I can hardly believe how bad it is. It's like they paid absolutely zero attention to what happens with traffic, but as long as the 5 bikes that may go through there every hour who had no problems riding on the road have their own lane, all is well.

[rage2]

Why didn't you bike to the gym? Obviously that's what the city wants you to do.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by rage2
Why didn't you bike to the gym? Obviously that's what the city wants you to do.

Haha I hate biking on the streets. And I don't have a road bike. I also pay good money to have heated underground parking at my gym

[Moonracer]

^^^

[rage2]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Haha I hate biking on the streets. And I don't have a road bike. I also pay good money to have heated underground parking at my gym

Hate biking on the streets? Well those lanes are designed especially for you!

[suntan]

Originally posted by kertejud2
17th Ave has found its place as a destination street, and can be a horrible place to drive because, despite some of the best efforts of earlier roads planners, is not a commuter street until you get past 14th St because people have fought back for the space.

I remember those days, back when I lived there and I had to cut off the heads of obese drivers' heads with my halberd. Ah, the 80s.

[suntan]

Originally posted by kertejud2
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...ke-lanes-think

Every community has thoroughfares

Last time I checked there were a whole bunch of other roads that aren't used by commuters in Beltline?

[euro_racer]

Ok, which one of you guys was this?

http://www.660news.com/2015/05/26/cy...at-arent-open/

I feel the frustration though, and I really doubt the new lanes will stop a good 80% of bikers from weaving trough traffic/ using the sidewalk and running red lights like they usually do.

[blitz]

Originally posted by euro_racer
I feel the frustration though, and I really doubt the new lanes will stop a good 80% of bikers from weaving trough traffic/ using the sidewalk and running red lights like they usually do.

80% seems like a good number

Talking to my friends who live in the area, the bigger problem right now is the delivery vehicles who just stop in traffic to make deliveries, or in one case a guy you waited for 5 minutes for his buddy to come down from his condo. By beyond logic that means that 80% of drivers and disrespectful delivery assholes who don't give a shit about their fellow motorists

[Feruk]

Originally posted by kertejud2
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...ke-lanes-think

I'm one of these beltliners, as are most of my friends. I don't know even one of us that likes this stupid idea... Author must've very carefully selected which tweets to post.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Feruk
I'm one of these beltliners, as are most of my friends. I don't know even one of us that likes this stupid idea... Author must've very carefully selected which tweets to post.

The author pretty much asked cyclists living in the area what they think. Says so right in the article.

Here are some more thoughts from people living in the Beltline who responded to my request for comment on Twitter (most of whom, as has been pointed out, tend toward those who ride bikes because they follow me and I write about bikes. Go figure).

It's no different than if we compiled all the comments from this thread and conclude everyone hates bike lanes.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Moonracer
^^^

The lanes are still on the street, and they are only partial....sorry if I wasn't more clear. I'm not going to hop on my mountain bike and support the worst city decision I have seen since moving downtown haha.

On my walk in this morning, the only bikes I saw were on 10th ave

Looks like they are prepping for an 8th ave bike lane too? I didn't know about that one. They've got it all marked off.

[speedog]

Twitter search for tombabin - link. Definitely a bit selective but Tom Babin is a pro-cycle person so would you expect anything less from him?

[mazdavirgin]

Wellp people are now jogging in the "closed" bike lanes. So yeah at least the city of calgary has saved us from the terror of cyclist/joggers on the sidewalk! I know I feel soooo much safer on the sidewalks now!