Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post

Flames0910 · 09-20-2021, 10:52 AM

Yikes, that is a busy spot to be flying that fast. Then again, it's not like there's anything that says "heads up, slow down, be cautious" there either. It's a sharp turn with a lot to pay attention to -- I've missed or misjudged what other pathways users would do there (though not at 25kph).

I was thinking about this on a ride yesterday around Glenmore where there were hundreds of people out on the pathway. Urban cyclists have to make a thousand microdecisions on any ride, and each has the potential to erupt in conflict, make someone upset or lead to injury. Urban cyclists also have to interact with a larger variety of trail users, whereas gravel, mountain or road bikers outside the city generally only have to deal with one or two. Each decision is small and innocuous, but taken in totality it's no wonder people get angry at cyclists. If on each ride you go on, you are forced to make a hundred small decisions, each with the possibility of pissing somebody off — well, you're bound to get one wrong eventually (and others won't see the hundred you get right, just the one you got wrong).

Some examples I noticed on just one ride where everything went OK but each time there was the potential for conflict with another person. So many of these come down to a lack of thoughtfully designed infrastructure which makes it all the more frustrating:

• pathways that end suddenly and dump you on the road
• pathways with no curb cutouts that force you onto the sidewalk
• pathways that are also sidewalks
• roads that go from "safe to ride on" to "really not a good spot to be" with no warning
• roads where parked cars or other debris force you into traffic
• traffic signals on bike routes that don't really consider the needs of bicyclists
• unsigned crosswalks on bike pathways
• inconsistent infrastructure like "bikes use pedestrian signal" signs
• sharp corners, blind intersections, and sudden hills with no signage (or a combo of all three)
• pathways that get squeezed for no good reason or without warning
• pathways that cross traffic in the middle of the road rather than at an intersection

09-20-2021, 10:52 AM	#3227
Flames0910 First Line Centre Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Calgary Exp:	Yikes, that is a busy spot to be flying that fast. Then again, it's not like there's anything that says "heads up, slow down, be cautious" there either. It's a sharp turn with a lot to pay attention to -- I've missed or misjudged what other pathways users would do there (though not at 25kph). I was thinking about this on a ride yesterday around Glenmore where there were hundreds of people out on the pathway. Urban cyclists have to make a thousand microdecisions on any ride, and each has the potential to erupt in conflict, make someone upset or lead to injury. Urban cyclists also have to interact with a larger variety of trail users, whereas gravel, mountain or road bikers outside the city generally only have to deal with one or two. Each decision is small and innocuous, but taken in totality it's no wonder people get angry at cyclists. If on each ride you go on, you are forced to make a hundred small decisions, each with the possibility of pissing somebody off — well, you're bound to get one wrong eventually (and others won't see the hundred you get right, just the one you got wrong). Some examples I noticed on just one ride where everything went OK but each time there was the potential for conflict with another person. So many of these come down to a lack of thoughtfully designed infrastructure which makes it all the more frustrating: • pathways that end suddenly and dump you on the road • pathways with no curb cutouts that force you onto the sidewalk • pathways that are also sidewalks • roads that go from "safe to ride on" to "really not a good spot to be" with no warning • roads where parked cars or other debris force you into traffic • traffic signals on bike routes that don't really consider the needs of bicyclists • unsigned crosswalks on bike pathways • inconsistent infrastructure like "bikes use pedestrian signal" signs • sharp corners, blind intersections, and sudden hills with no signage (or a combo of all three) • pathways that get squeezed for no good reason or without warning • pathways that cross traffic in the middle of the road rather than at an intersection Last edited by Flames0910; 09-20-2021 at 11:06 AM.