Bikes, bikes, bikes

[thistleclub]

Via @SamCraggsCBC:


Whitehead moving not have a proposed bike lane on Rymal Rd from West 5 to Glancaster Rd. He wants to find another solution

Surveyed residents don't want the bike lane on Rymal. Presents "another point of conflict. & Rymal is essentially a highway: Whitehead

McHattie doesn't want to rule out the bike lane on Rymal. He wants to look at making it a safe, separated bike lane

Looks like they're going to examine making a separated bike lane on Rymal. Whitehead wants to consult with residents again too

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Metrolinx's money is our money.

I'm just wondering what demographic this type of service is designed to attract, and if that group is large enough and has the disposable income necessary to make the service 'revenue neutral' after the initial capital investment. I suspect subsequent 'capital investments' will be forthcoming.

I would have been happier if $1.6 mil went towards expanding the cycling lane network and more bike racks rather than buying 650 bikes so somebody can make money managing the program.

Metrolinx gets a big pot of money from the province and then figures out how to spend it. I suppose in theory you could say it is our money, but that doesn't seem to be how it works.

Personally I like the idea of considering it to be our money because then Hamilton should demand that Metrolinx funding is given out to each city on a per capita basis. If that were the case, then take all the money Metrolinx has spent so far on Toronto, divide roughly by five and then hand that out to Hamilton for whatever we want to do with it.

[coalminecanary]

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

If it is such a good idea then private financing for the project should have materialized instead of the taxpayers having to cough up the money.

Could say the same about the Kenilworth overpass. Should have found a private company to rebuild the bridge and charge a toll. Then we'd see pretty quickily how many people actually deem the bridge a "necessary" part of our transportation system.

[Jon Dalton]

The project is designed to be revenue neutral after the initial capital investment. How many projects even attempt that? If it fails, that's more likely because it set the bar too high. We should be willing to spend at least a little on operating costs, considering how much further the money goes on cycling projects.

Nevertheless, other medium sized cities have bike share programs that pay for themselves. That is what gave staff the confidence to push this one. Bike sharing is still relatively new and sure there have been failures. But for once, this city has studied best practices elsewhere and really put its best foot forward.

[Jon Dalton]

Could say the same about the Kenilworth overpass. Should have found a private company to rebuild the bridge and charge a toll. Then we'd see pretty quickily how many people actually deem the bridge a "necessary" part of our transportation system.

Lets just face it, we are second class citizens unless we're burning gas. All those on foot or bike are simply expendable. That is the only sense that can be made of this double standard.

[coalminecanary]

Half the budget is roads. If we removed one lane from service on Main, we'd save that money in one move. But the roads budget is sacred, and clark wants to nickel and dime these little projects. As if the overspending on public art and bike lanes is causing our tax problems. Gimme a break.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by coalminecanary

Half the budget is roads. If we removed one lane from service on Main, we'd save that money in one move. But the roads budget is sacred, and clark wants to nickel and dime these little projects. As if the overspending on public art and bike lanes is causing our tax problems. Gimme a break.

That’s true: the roads budget makes everything Clark brings up pale in comparison. Does that mean, though, that it’s not appropriate to try to save small amounts of money where possible?

As the saying goes, you have to watch the pennies because they add up to dollars. That’s how people entrusted with other people’s tax dollars should behave. So, yes, if $300,000 is allocated to bike lanes, that’s not a large amount of money relative to the whole budget, but if the City is unable to spend it, they shouldn’t have taken it from taxpayers in the first place. That makes sense, as a principle, doesn't it?

[coalminecanary]

What Clark should be asking is: "Why are we not spending our cycling infrastructure budget when we know that improved bike infrastructure will lower future roads costs - our single biggest expenditure?"

In other words, what roadblocks are preventing the build-out of the cycling master plan?

And when a project such as the bridge replacement at king/kenilworth ($2.3 million) comes up, or the reconstruction of the claremont collapse (making it wder than the 403 again, for $???million), or the construction of an overpass at clappisons ($$hundreds of millions) where are the cries? This selective myopia is BAD fiscal governance dressed up as good.

[thistleclub]

Clark or Collins?

FWIW, at this point, the City's roads capital budget seems to be down for 2014: $98.8M, or about $4M lower than 2013.

[durandy]

It's Collins by the way not Clark, even though it sounds like Clark.

[coalminecanary]

Sorry, Collins. But most of council suffers from the same tunnel vision.

[Pearlstreet]

I think Social Bike's are a win purely due to this experiment (please watch link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po85l...QTgXQ&index=11


Also because having your bike stolen sucks...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90KSu...fVthA0qrFQTgXQ

[rousseau]

What's the best way to ride up the mountain from downtown?

[mattgrande]

Depends on where you're trying to get to on the mountain.

[rousseau]

From the Durand area to various places west of Upper James.

[matt602]

There are bike lanes on the Jolley Cut I believe but I wouldn't take them, myself. Way too dangerous with all the traffic. If you're going to the East Mountain (Upper Kenilworth), take the escarpment rail trail to the Kenilworth stairs and carry your bike up. Thats how I usually do it.

[rousseau]

Thanks for the info. This summer I plan to do some road riding in clipless pedals in the area, so walking up stairs isn't an option. I'd thought there was a path somewhere that went up the mountain near Chedoke. Isn't there?

Do cyclists ever go up the James-West 5th hill or the Queen Street hill?

[SteelTown]

There's the Chedoke Radial Trail, at the base of Chedoke golf clubhouse. The stairs takes you to Upper Paradise or the trail takes you to Scenic Dr, which the Hamilton/Ancaster border.

Never seen a cyclist take the Queen St hill, they'll always take the stairs.

[rousseau]

Ah, the Chedoke Radial Trail. That's the one I was thinking of. Thanks!

[thistleclub]

Via A/N Blog, Before & After: 25 of New York City’s Most Transformative Road Diets shows off newly humanized streetscapes (ably illustrated w/interactive image sliders).