By Pepper Parr
November 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The city has a number of Advisory committees made up of people appointed by city council.
Those appointed are, for the most part, made up of people who apply to sit on the committee.
Some of the advisory committees are very effective and play a significant role in developing policy that city council eventually adopts. The Heritage Advisory committee is one example as is the Cycling committee (BCC)
The green bike lanes are intended to help highlight the bike lane portion of the road, reminding motorists and cyclists to be aware of each other and drive with caution. This is especially important at intersections where cars must cross over the bike lane to make a right-hand turn. The new road markings are being installed as part of the resurfacing project on Guelph Line and Fairview Street.
That committee met Tuesday, September 27, 2016 with the following members present: Don Thorpe (Chair), Chris Ariens, Brad Slade, Jackie Lodder, Glenn Cockfield, Jeff Brooks, James Schofield, Brett Moore, Teresa Baerg. Also attending were: Councillor Jack Dennison, Dan Ozimkovic, Kendra Willard and Jo-Anne Rudy (Clerk)
Dan Thorpe advised that the Cycling Committee was requesting $150,000 in 2017 Capital budget to update Cycling Master Plan.
To the surprise of some- the committee has started working on a road diet for Maple Avenue from Lakeshore Road to just south of Mapleview Mall – a pilot project for next spring. The last pilot project on New Street was a total disaster – not because it was a bad idea but due to the terrible communications issues.
The Cycling Committee has also started working on a road diet for Lakeshore Road from water treatment plant to Eastport Drive. That part of the city is part of a very detailed and involved plan to turn the Beachway Park into a significant outdoor destination that might actually see the light of day – but that is at least a decade away.
The committee purchased four more bike repair stations which will be installed next year. One location will be the Elgin Street promenade. – looking for suggestions on other locations from committee.
The Burlington Cycling Advisory Committee is talking to the folks in Hamilton about creating a bike share program for the city.
The committee is talking with Hamilton to extend their BikeShare program to Burlington. Metrolinx is apparently willing to cover approximately half the cost. Need to determine strategy for balance of cost and get Council’s buy-in.
The committee has seven bike racks left for that can be given to any business that meets the criteria.
The committee reported in its minutes that the New Street road diet opened on August 23 – “very negative feedback was received at the beginning but is reducing. Collecting traffic and length of time data via Bluetooth technology which has shown that there hasn’t been a huge increase in travel delay. Will be going out with a drone to collect additional data. No issues have been received from police, fire, ambulance or Transit.”
What proved to be close at an albatross around the neck of the Mayor hasn’t really been given a chance. The New Street Road diet was an idea that seemed like a good one at the time. Shortly after the roads were marked with the sharrows the Region began digging up part of New Street for water pipes.
Special lanes for bicycles are marked with painted sharrows on city streets. Sharing the road is part of Burlington’s future – and is proving to be difficult for a city that is addicted it its cars – partly because transit is so inconvenient.
It seemed as if one level of government didn’t talk to or know what the other level of government was doing – when there is a committee that meets monthly to review who is constructing what where so that there is no overlap. Someone appears to have forgotten to send that meeting memo to Burlington’s Transportation department.
The Cycling committee is doing its job – they just don’t seem to be able to get aligned with what the Transportation department is doing.
Councillor Dennison provided his perspective on opening day and noted that traffic was moving well. He said he had received positive comments from residents and that it is safer to cross New Street and the speed of traffic is reduced.
In a test drive the Gazette did on New Street during rush hour traffic in the evening we didn’t experience anything in the way of delays worth mentioning. We saw just the one rider using the cycling lanes.
The Regional Health Department has $1,000 the BCC can use for an event or communication. Use it for communication and clear up the communication story quickly before they lose all their credibility.
Committee discussed and felt that although the data they appear to have is important information, now was not the right time for a communication on sidewalk cycling, given the current negative feedback for New Street.
What is one to make of all that?
PS The sharrows in the middle of the lane on Fairview near the Walmart although legal are confusing and ridiculous. Imagine a young family 4 taking a nice family bike ride in the middle of the road on a Saturday afternoon.Boy has this Council got their priorities wrong. The council is too small and has been the same for too long and are starting to become to self centered and arrogant. This month there was attempt to limit the delegation time to Council to 5 minutes from 10 minutes. They only changed their mind after public pressure . Time for a big change in 2 years ladies and gentlemen. Enough is enough!
And why don’t we have an Automobile Driving Advisory Committee?
Nobody wants an unsafe or unworkable cycling system that conflicts with higher priority emergency vehicle/car/truck requirements. Without driver’s input, Burlington will soon lose its highly prized “Moneysense Magazine #1 City” status.
The cycling advisory committee has far more power at City hall than the Seniors do as evidenced by the recent decision to kick the Seniors Board to the curb.
Elections just 2 years away. Don’t forget these Council actions and hold them accountable!
Burlington streets come to a stand still whenever the QEW has sniffles. If only to Diet or not could change that. When can the QEW go on a diet??
@Lodder, When we build another 400 highway to the US Border. Way over due.
@Joe … your comment is perfect. I’d love to know what the hospital thinks of this road diet plan.
@Stephen. Likely the same thing that the owners/managers of Mapleview Mall think–totally idiotic!!!
I am an avid cyclist who also happens to live on Maple Ave. When the QEW sneezes Maple Ave. gets viral pneumonia, and is on life support as it comes to a complete and utter standstill. When the Skyway shuts down, as has happened on several occasions this past summer, guess what, thousands of commuters try to make it across the canal via Maple. Maple is also one of the main corridors that emergency vehicles stake to reach Joe Brant. Before you go any further with this idea,image what will happen if lanes are removed. We have two bike lanes now that that are satisfactory, this is not a good idea.
On Nov 11th an online petition was started with two signatures. Now two weeks later it has 1256 signatures with some very passionate and insightful comments. Interesting in the committee report it is stated that very negative feedback was received at the beginning of the New Street Road diet but is reducing. Were there more negative comments than this and is this a reduction? Also I understand the Bluetooth technology does not count every car. Perhaps most are captured but a quick poll of my neighbourhood produced some interesting findings. My car would be counted, not my husbands nor the neighbour on either side of me. This may be an exception but worth careful consideration.
Sounds like tough polarized company here. But there is a big difference between bike lanes at the curb, and a road diet that takes away a car lane.
In the idea that it’s 2016, I haven’t seen any consideration of the PRACTICAL REALITIES.
I support biking, and did it to work for 21 years, taking 20 odd minutes from Aldershot to CCIW. Used the less busy roads, and the beach trail when it opened. Didn’t need a road diet to think about route selection, and I had a few.
At most I had 5 to 10 other bikes in the rack at work. I heard every excuse in the book. Time, weather, distance, sweat, can’t shop, pick up kids, and on and on.
In winter I took the bus to Joe Brant, then walked the beach to work. Then the city took that bus away. Practical reality meant in winter I had to walk the whole way, both ways, 1 hour plus, or buy another car, which we didn’t want to do. You need the time.
Saved a great deal of money over the time. Got a lot of exercise. Some people will do this same thing, and I see some on the roads we frequent. Good for them.
But I see them using the bike lanes, and on Plains Rd., and Fairview, roads I would never use. Not safe. There are other routes, with lots less traffic.
I haven’t even mentioned the many other realities that drivers have to face, as the city and employment structure is such that a car is the only way – THE ONLY WAY!
So some practical reality that needs thinking about. I would like to see how this information pencils out. Anybody got any?
Maple Ave, feeds into a major commercial intersection. How do you think a road diet will work there? All I see is more opposition.
These roots of the conflict we see here are inherent. Practical realities. You can’t just assume them away.
@Tenni I am well aware of the date. The year does not excuse stupidity. You will hear me roar not growl.
Maple has a bike lane already and works well. We don’t need to lose a lane to make it safer for bikers. If Burlington was really serious about making biking safer, they would take bikes off the road. Leave the road for cars. The wide boulevards we have are a perfect bike lane. Create a lane for bikes without reducing the roadway. This is what most European cities have done.
Stephen, building an off road cycling lane along New St. was considered at the same time as the road diet. I recall a number of about $5 million that the city doesn’t have, adding to an already high tax increase planned for next year. That would likely get louder growls from a lot more residents, maybe even the same residents growling about the road diet.
@John Like I said if we were serious. I didn’t say it would come cheap.
I’m all in favor of adding a special levy to create a bike path system in Burlington, to rival the bike system in many European cities. Lets bury the hydro lines and do away with street light poles on the boulevards. Limit the street lights to one side of the street. With less street lights, it will allow us to see the stars. Lets make Burlington a city all of North America will admire for their bike lanes.
If anyone is reading the above and going huh … this is the same sentimentality that is directing this cycling committee. We will have to rise up and protest to get the city to leave our roads alone.
Or as one councilor would like to see, close the QEW and turn it into a park.
There are practical limits to what is possible, the traffic issues you describe don’t improve when we do nothing. Cycling lanes may not fix them all however, to date the data collected suggests it hasn’t significantly changed New Street.
Next year when all the information is collected we will have the opportunity to determine both the good and not so good aspects of this road diet.
I can’t tell you the answer and I respectfully suggest no one will have it until all the information is available.
John you say to date the data suggests the New Street road diet has not significantly changed New Street. I respectfully beg to differ. Our online petition now has 1444 signatures with some very passionate comments on how this has changed the daily commute. As far as I know no data is being collected on how fast cars are now going through what used to be quiet residential streets. No data is being collected on how difficult it is to turn left onto New Street. No data is being collected on the backlog of cars waiting to get into this stretch of the now single lane. There have been several comments on the aggressive driving of the impatient drivers using the short merge lane to cut into traffic. The near misses aren’t or indeed can’t be counted but people are experiencing it. So many comments from cyclists themselves to say they will never ride their bikes on New Street. All this has nothing to do with the construction now on New Street.
There are so many other options for cyclists. Lakeshore has bike lanes, Spruce Avenue is a wonderful option and there is the Centennial multi use path. Or as has been suggested by a few why not designate the sidewalk a bike path on one side of New Street and the other for pedestrians. I don’t think this would come with a 5m price tag as I understand widening the boulevard would.
Local residents in SOUTH Burlington now have a clear choice–find $5 million in a bloated City Hall budget or continue to impose significant costs on the residents of South Burlington and on commuters of the gridlocked New Street–it’s more dangerous, more time consuming and hugely inconvenient. These latter costs are now imposed to benefit the .5% of road users at the expense of the other 99.5%–it appears that the Mayor and Council have never heard of a cost-benefit analysis.
Of course, Dennison, who was elected to represent the interests of the RESIDENTS of the impacted area, not only doesn’t represent them in the New Street Fiasco but PANDERS to the Cycling Lobby who pushed for this option–their first choice back in their February 16th presentation at City Hall.
After some reflection (not a lot though) I look at our roadways that are already designated with cycle lanes.
Fairview has designated cycle lanes even crossing over the entrance to Niagara QE entrance.
My street is designated as a two lane street with bike paths designated. There are the bike paths joined or nearly complete from Toronto to Niagara. Bike lanes down Fairview/Plains Rd to York in Hamilton.
Bike lanes on Maple and New are going to happen no matter how many dinosaurs growl. Its 2016 people.
tenni, thank you for your short but thoughtful reflection and conclusion.
Cheers
The 1250 people who have signed the petition against the New Street Lane Reductions are not dinosaurs–you might have heard of them, they’re called residents, taxpayers, and commuters who have been marginalized to accommodate, at most, .5% of road users! The taxpayers and residents of Burlington have been undermined by a lobby group at City Hall–the Cycling Committee, paid for by those same taxpayers!?!? “Dinosaurs”–what arrogant, self-entitlement!
A road “diet” for Maple Ave. is insane! All the major routes that lead to the hospital must kept free of any lane reductions.
Retro-fitting a city’s road system to accommodate bicycle riders is not a simple issue of repainting some lines; i.e., taking away road surface from cars and giving it to the tiny number of seasonal bicycle riders. Car traffic is heavier than ever in Burlington and more car idling time diminishes air quality.
It’s time to shut down the “cycling committee”.
I have ridden on Maple avenue for years and never had a problem or felt unsafe. I can see nothing but problems with this road diet nonsense. I never got the New street idea either. Another stretch I have ridden with no problems. I do like the idea of the green paint if for no other reason than to remind drivers that they are sharing the road with cyclists. On lakeshore there are lanes marked with white bicycles to which I think are supposed to help cyclists but are completely ignored by drivers. Bike lanes do not help a cyclist who is cut off by a motorist turning into a driveway and can’t wait the few seconds it takes the cyclist to clear the driveway. I don’t no how many times I have been cut by such impatient, inconsiderate motorists. Cyclists aren’t always perfect either. We all need to work together and show a little tolerance.
Philip, glad to hear it is only the mis_informed author of this piece that thinks complaints are reduced I am with ypu regarding a lot of new blood needed on brant next election hoping now jack dennison now he has sold cedar springs gym will retire be nice to see a couple of others retire gracefully too after many years “service”.
I live in Dennison’s ward. Not a word to residents by Dennison regarding the lane reductions on New Street and it runs right through his ward. The most negative impacts have been and continue to be on local residents. He was elected by the residents to serve them–he should be ashamed to be in the hip pocket of the Cycling Lobby at City Hall.
Steve is correct that Maple is impossible when there is a problem on the QE and so are Fairview, Lakeshore Rd. Plains Rd W.
Fairview alone is a transportation disaster waiting to happen on a daily basis.
Does a smart city plan transportation based on emergency crisis? I hope not. Fairview works well except for QE emergencies and 3 to 7 p.m. Maple works well except for QE emergencies.
The conversation with the bicycle sharing company is overdue but it does bike lanes to make alternate means of transporting Burly peeps work. Based on what I have seen in Hamilton, this will be developed as demand is shown to be needed. Demand will increase with the presence of bike lanes.
Maple doesn’t work well whenever there is a shopping event at the Mapleview Mall.
I wonder if the owners/managers of this mall are aware that lane reductions are coming that will negatively impact this major shopping centre?
This is insane!
Do you know what its like on Maple on a busy night? I live right off Maple, and sometimes it can take me an hour or more to get home from the Go Train station. On a busy Friday night or when there is a problem on the QEW this road is packed solid. I can’t even imagine what it will be like if only one lane. Please if you politicians are reading this – please reconsider. I know you have a soft spot for this road diet idea Pepper, but for me its utter lunacy to be putting the roads down to one lane. This road I bike on all the time. It has a bike lane already. The road is in terrible condition, cracking, bumps and waves. That is what they should be considering fixing for bikers and cars.
The biggest problem you will have on Maple–as we have on New Street–is the lack of safety (try making a turn onto Maple when there is traffic and only a small turning lane in the centre–you have to take you life into your hands) and inconvenience–some of the side streets west of Maple, where there is no alternative exit, are going to be blocked in). Once again, inconvenience thousands of residents to pander to the Cycling Lobby. Remember in November, 2018, we need to drain the swamp on Brant Street.
That is a good point Phillip. Already have to use the center lane to get out of my street onto Maple. If its not there it will be impossible. Plus it just occurred to me that Maple is frequently closed on one side for various events, runs etc. So will the road be closed on those dates now?
You have got to be kidding me. Have they not seen what Maple is like when there is a problem on the QEW? I will fight this with with everything I have. This is absolute idiocy.
Eventually people are going to get sick of the tail wagging the dog, and show it in votes.
Not sure when you drove New street. When I drive around 4:30 pm heading west takes 20 mins to travel 2 KM Walkers to Guelph Line. My friends in the neighbourhood can’t believe such a stupid idea was put in place impacting thousands of cars and voters for a few as in count on one hand cyclists. Hoping voters remember this the next election if current members run again.I think less noise now as people have given up there was more negativity on this than the pier.
Craig, I don’t think people have given up. Check out the comments on change.org that are attached to a petition against the lane reductions. They already have over 1200 signatures, mostly local residents, but a few cyclists as well who don’t think the lane reductions are a good idea.