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Ride with Candidates: Debbie Chapman, Kitchener (Ward 9)

Posted on August 10, 2018October 18, 2018 by Emily Slofstra
Posted in: I bike I vote, Rides with Candidates

In the months before the 2018 municipal election, CycleWR volunteers have been taking municipal electoral candidates for bike rides to show off the best and worst of the cycling infrastructure in their ward/city/region. For a full list of completed rides, click here. CycleWR is a non-partisan organization that does not support any particular party or candidate. Summaries are written by volunteers or candidates and may not reflect the mandate or views of CycleWR. For more information, contact us at hello@cyclewr.ca.

Thank you @katyfulfer and @gregoryGandres for taking the time to tour the bike infrastructure with me. While the cities of #kitchener and #waterloo and #waterlooregion have made great improvements, more work needs to be done. Keep up the advocacy work.

— Debbie Chapman (@debbiechapman1) July 4, 2018

CycleWR volunteers Greg Andres and Katy Fulfer went for a ride with Debbie Chapman, Kitchener Ward 9 Candidate. Here’s what they had to say about it.

Key takeaways:

  • It needs to be more obvious to cyclists how to enter and exit multi-use paths. Make it more obvious to drivers that cyclists will be exiting multi-use trails into traffic.  (The lesson from the multi-use trail on Caroline)
  • It’s dangerous anytime a cyclist is forced to go from bike lanes into traffic. (The lesson on Park Street at Union Blvd)
  • We shouldn’t build bike infrastructure that is difficult to navigate on a bike. (The lesson from Glasgow Street west of Westmount Rd)
  • On the routes we cycled with Debbie, I [Katy] am frequently passed by cars when there is not really space for them to do so safely. I frequently feel as if drivers don’t value my life over their convenience. Literally.
  • Poorly designed bike infrastructure is an obstacle to riding more. The intentions are good…but poorly executed for the most part. We both said we tended to avoid cycling around the Erb/Caroline intersection because it’s so confusing generally. If I bike uptown, I go out of my way for a safer route.
  • City council needs to do a massive campaign for drivers of motor vehicles. They are not the only ones on the roads, and impatience kills. That 10 seconds it takes to pass a cyclist safely? That 10 seconds can save a life.

And here’s some more detail about the examples of infrastructure Greg and Katy pointed out to Debbie—things they liked and did not like that are parts of their usual bike riding (including commuting to work at UWaterloo).

  • The new “multi-use” trail along Caroline from Erb Street to William Street. The points we made:
    • It’s not clear if the trail is for bikes as well as pedestrians. There are no clear markings saying bikes can be on it. It just has a yellow line down the centre.
      • If the trail is not for bikes, then Caroline is almost impossible to navigate on a bike. The street is so narrow and drivers quickly become impatient if you’re cycling on the street itself.
      • There’s no easy way to navigate getting on/off the trail on either end of the trail.
    • From the trail in Waterloo Park to the trail on Caroline: the only option is to dismount and walk across on the crosswalk.
    • From the trail on Caroline onto William Street itself: No matter which direction you go—whether east or west—this is a dangerous intersection to navigate. Drivers don’t expect cyclists to be merging from the trail into traffic.
  • The bike lane on Park Street from William Street to Union Blvd. The points we made:
    • The bike lane is great. If we’re not going to have dedicated bike lanes…this is the next best thing.
    • Going south on Park Street, the bike lane abruptly ends at Union Blvd., forcing cyclists into traffic if they wish to carry on on Park Street going south. The entire lane also narrows here. This is always a bad mix. Drivers become impatient very quickly.
  • The bike lanes on Glasgow from Belmont Ave. to Fischer-Hallman
    • The bike lanes from Belmont Ave. to Westmount Rd are great on both sides of the road. Again, if we’re not going to have dedicated bike lanes, this is the next best thing.
    • The intersection at Glasgow and Westmount Rd is dangerous. When headed west on Glasgow, the bike lanes on both sides of the street disappear just before the intersection. So cyclists are forced into traffic going through the intersection.
    • Still heading west, the bike lanes on Glasgow continue to be good for a few blocks, until—inexplicably—curbs are introduced into the bike lanes. This is dangerous for two reasons:
      • It’s difficult to navigate curbs at high speeds…and control of the bike becomes a factor.
      • If cyclists want to avoid going up and down curbs on the bike lane (e.g., when we are clipped into pedals and going faster), they are forced into traffic. Again, the road is narrow and drivers quickly become impatient.

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CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today and help us change the conversation about cycling in Waterloo Region. Members help support and guide our work, get access to discounts, and more!Get your membership:
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Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested to learn more about how people in our community view cycling infrastructure. We have created a survey that delves into how people perceive the many infrastructure options that we find in Waterloo Region.We know that there is a lot of diversity in the comfort levels that people experience while cycling. We want to know: Will you only ride on trails and physically separated facilities? Which street designs do you find safest? How do you feel about one-way versus two-way cycle tracks? Which cycling facilities do you prefer to see when you are driving a car? We ask all these questions and more.This survey will inform our advocacy and the results will be shared both publicly and with municipal staff who are designing new facilities. The survey is quite detailed, so you’ll want to set aside 10-15 minutes to complete it. Please share it widely – we want to reach many people with varying levels of experience, from non-cyclists and beginners to daily riders.Start the survey now - the link is our bio (https://forms.gle/RLASz6joa27NUX8T7)Please respond by March 21st.Thank you!
What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cam What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and the Region funding in 2021? Find out in our budget analyses. Link in bio.
Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 – 9:00pm for a look at what we accomplished in 2020 and what’s coming up for cycling in the region in 2021 and beyond.Active transportation leads from the three cities and the region who will be joining us:
• Lisa Chominiec
Sustainable Transportation Coordinator, City of Cambridge
• Liz Christensen
Design & Construction Project Manager, City of Kitchener
• Darren Kropf
Active Transportation Planning Project Manager, City of Kitchener
• Louise Finlay
Project Manager, Bikeways, Trails and Greenspaces, City of Waterloo
• Kornel Mucsi
Manager, Transportation Planning, Region of WaterlooCheck the link in our bio for meeting instructions.
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