Unnecessary and disruptive or an important traffic calming measure that’s great for cycling and making it safer to get around the community, no matter which side of the debate you are on, it’s a highly divisive issue for residents in the northwest Calgary community of Sunnyside.
New bike lanes — one on each side of the road from the intersection of Sunnyhill Lane and 7 Avenue N.W. to 9 Street and 2 Avenue N.W. — were opened in January.
However, Sunnyside resident Stephen Entwisle, who describes himself as an avid cyclist who rides his bike in the area at least a few times per week, doesn’t think the new lanes are justified by the volume of vehicle traffic in the area.
“For the people who actually live on 7th Avenue here, it is not only disruptive but has real potential to negatively affect property values,” said Entwisle.
“It affects us on a daily basis. A number of people in the community have expressed concerns about their ability to age in place. As you can see, the curb is really prominent, very large. If you’re an elderly person and you have the requirement to take your waste management bins out to the road for pickup, it can make it very difficult.”
Entwisle said the addition of large concrete barriers separating the road from the bike lane has also removed a significant portion of the parking that’s available in the area.
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“We could have taken interim or incremental steps, such as putting in traffic bumps, putting in a less permanent, less fixed cycling infrastructure to try things out. There are alternate ways to calm traffic if that’s the concern,” Entwisle said.
Some critics have taken to social media to share their opinions, using euphemisms such as useless, ugly and a waste of money to describe the new bike lane.
But other area residents, like Robert Malcolm, who is also president of the school council at Sunnyside Elementary, believe the bike lane has made the road safer for cyclists by narrowing the road, encouraging people to drive more appropriately.
“Memorial on occasion has some construction on it, and on these certain occasions, which happen now and then, people tend to cut through the neighbourhood and you’ve got an elementary school and a bunch of houses, and you know people with mobility needs, so that’s really been an issue,” said Malcolm.
Critics also point out that the bike lane was unusable for long periods during the winter because it was covered in snow, forcing cyclists back out onto the road.
Criticism Christie Page of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Mobility Committee described the obstacle as “growing pains.”
“It didn’t really open until January, which is a terrible time for the city to open a bike lane, and the snow crews hadn’t figured out how to remove the snow and there was some real issues with parking signage.”
“We have reduced a little bit of parking just on 7th Avenue and having the parking signage not be correct right off the bat made people angry, like they were getting ticketed where the city had promised them parking, and it has been fixed, but people are still upset about that,” said Page.
“Almost every house where the bike lane went has an alley. Where they don’t have an alley, there was a lot of thought put in by both the community and the city to make sure that they would have a parking spot in front of their house, and the recycle bin also had to get past it, so there are gaps where you can push a recycle bin through,” added Page.
“So people either have access through the rear of their property or they have access at the front of their property, which is really just a few houses here on 7th Avenue.”
Ward 7 Coun. Mike Atkinson believes the arrival of “true cycling weather” will result in many more people using the bike lane.
“It was quite a wide road before, so it is like a main throughfare for Sunnyside, right? It connects across the CTrain tracks and into Sunnyside. It’s kind of the spine down the middle. It abuts the school. So it’s kind of the right network piece right in the middle of community,” said Atkinson.
“It was originally a trolley road. If you go back in the history of it, it’s where we had a trolley on that road. So it’s quite a wide road originally. So these cycle pieces and some of the curb bump outs to allow it — narrowing of the pedestrian infrastructure — have just made it an overall safer space for folks in the Sunnyside area,” Atkinson added.
Great to hear from Stephen “not really a cyclist” Entwisle on this. Glad to see Global giving NIMBYs a platform to spew opinions rather than report facts.
A bunch of ignorant rednecks don’t want bike lanes? Who t f cares build them anyways
They did this in sunalta, and got rid of a full lane of parking without replacing the lost parking for residents. I see people riding bikes on the sidewalk all the time, and very few people use the designated bike lanes.
Dicey driving on that road now with cars parked along it. Having parking signs on metal poles every 5 feets is just ugly too. Bike agenda continues, just strange.
Horribly written article. What even is that first sentence, do the authors of this article not know how to form a coherent sentence? Plus an obvious typo in the next paragraph (“found” instead of “four”), this is just pathetic to see coming from a major news company. Shame on the authors, editors, and whoever else greenlit this article.
I’d like to see the roads reverted to their original state in sunnyside. They were more functional and fit for purpose for both cars and bikes before the bike lanes were added. If the city has cash to blow spend it on alleviating actual issues like homelessness or functioning water mains.
Look at all these crybabies whining about things that don’t affect them in any way. Cyclists on the road you cry, cyclists get their own lane you cry, almost like you just need something to cry about, boo hoo just so hard to be you.
what a waste of taxpayer money completely useless in the winter bikes don’t deserve there own lanes its a very small percentage of retards on bikes ot to mention not one of those retards will be riding in minus 20 when the gay bike lanes are covered with snow and ice grab a brain and screw it into your heads
8 AVE NE CALGARY HAS BIKE LANES, BOTH SIDES TOO, FOR 5 CYCLISTS A DAY.
As a cyclist I will never ride along a lane that is hidden from view ( behind a row of cars). There are no sight lines. Travel to Airdrie, and you will notice that ALL major roads and bicycle / walking paths are cleared of snow within 24 hours. The City of Calgary refuses to maintain & remove snow & ice from residential streets & pathways.
I DO NOT ride my bike on the WRONG side of the road. These bicycle lanes are a death trap.
I’ve been an avid bicyclist for 5 decades. I prefer riding on the street as long as it is wide enough.
Why not leverage the seldom used alleyways?
Were bicyclists consulted?
Penticton spent $10 million on a fiasco. The bicycle lanes are seldom used and are damaged in the winter.
Another complete waste of taxpayer dollars and dangerous as well.
Cycling lanes are garbage. Aren’t you supposed to drive on the road and obey street and traffic laws?
Putting a bike lane between a parking lane and the curb is quite dangerous. People getting out of cars, do not look for traffic on the wrong side. People going to the curb from their car have to negotiate a lane of traffic (bikes). When they come to an intersection, the bike drivers think they are pedestrians, and run out in front of turning vehicles, or even do not stop at the stop sign.
Statistically bike lanes are much less safe than just riding with the traffic, on the right. Bi-directional is the worst. Nobody expects traffic (bicycles) on the wrong side of the road – going the wrong way.
– And they are right, this thing is a nightmare for snow removal, or street cleaning.