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Tritag glasses9/2/2023 ![]() Other important measures in the proposed budget include the hiring of a planning engineer who will help coordinate active transportation projects and a bus pass program for Conestoga College students. A strong expression of support will go a long way in ensuring our community continues to invest in equitable and sustainable transportation. Please take a few minutes to send an email to your regional councillors in support of the transit improvements in the budget. Councillors reading the survey results might think they have political cover for cutting planned transit service from the budget. Unfortunately, the Region’s online budget survey, dominated by non-transit riders, showed low levels of support for these improvements. It’s a vital part of the already watered-down GRT business plan, and an important precursor to ION phase 2. This year’s proposed transit improvements include a new 206 Coronation iXpress route connecting Fairway, Preston, and Galt, as well as a bunch of improvements and route changes that would help equalize the level of transit service in Cambridge with that of Kitchener and Waterloo. Unfortunately, proposed transit improvements, vital to Grand River Transit’s growth, are under potential threat, as councillors seek to trim costs. On Tuesday, councillors will be finalizing the 2019 Region of Waterloo budget. Read More » Cycling northdale protected bike lanes uptown Regional Budget 2019: time for some bus love ![]() The future of cycling in Waterloo Region depends on them. We’d encourage you to take a few minutes to write to your councillors urging them to support these two projects. The more councillors hear residents celebrating the pilot and the Uptown improvements, the more they’ll be likely to vote for them. Indeed, staff are hoping to repeat the pilot in Kitchener and Cambridge, so this project is a big first step towards a coherent minimum grid of protected cycling routes. Still, the pilot represents an important shift in infrastructure development in the Region. The King Street extension north of Columbia, which would provide vital connectivity to the multi-use paths between Weber and Conestoga Mall, is dismissed because staff value higher motorized traffic volumes over cycling along that corridor. The Albert Street extensions fall under City of Waterloo jurisdiction (staff hope to coordinate with the city to grow the pilot on their end). These reductions are now listed on the map as “add-on extensions.” Dithering and delays (the pilot was supposed to have been built in 2018) have cost the Region support from a provincial government no longer interested in funding cycling infrastructure. It is disappointing that the proposed network is somewhat scaled back from an earlier vision staff were considering last year. These changes in attitudes are most welcome! Staff are also willing to accept some impacts to car travel times at intersections where they plan to add two-stage bike boxes for making safe turns, acknowledging that motorist habits and routes will change in response. However, narrower travel lanes lead to safer speeds and shorter crossing distances for pedestrians, which reduces the number and severity of collisions with vulnerable road users. Until now, challenges to the Region’s road dimensions dogmatism (unless it’s to reduce the width of a bike lane) have been virtually non-existent. What’s remarkable about the pilot is the degree to which Regional transportation staff are willing to consider narrowing or removing motorized vehicle lanes to facilitate the project. ![]() Proposed network and potential extensions Precast curbs would also be used on King, Erb, and University. Existing road space on King Street, Erb Street, University Ave, and Columbia Street around Uptown and Northdale would be reallocated to provide bike lanes with buffers and flex bollards. Modelled after cycling network pilots in Calgary and Edmonton, which saw huge surges in cycling trips after they were built, the pilot would focus on both protected infrastructure and rapidly forming a cohesive network of routes in a high-demand area. The long-awaited protected bike lane pilot project is also on Tuesday’s agenda. The good news is that staff have listened to public feedback and are now recommending flex bollards for subsequent phases of the streetscape project, as well as retrofitting the southbound bike lane and frequent encroachment points on the northbound lane with bollards as well. Better signage to encourage pedestrians to avoid meandering into the lanes is also proposed. Proposed fixes to the Uptown bike lanes include flex bollards and better signage.
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