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25th would probably work well as there is already the pedestrian crossing across 14th. The tricky part is connecting on the east end. Maybe carry the existing 26ave lanes to 20th street then jog it over to 25 ave

The current 'suggested' route (just the bike arrow signs) for eastbound riders is to make a left turn off 26 Ave (while going uphill) onto 15 St (even steeper uphill), which is especially terrible if you have to stop to wait for opposing traffic. I don't think I've ever followed the sign but normally just keep my momentum to the T instersection at 14 st, which is a little messy with service stations on each side. Making the jig over at the signalled 20 st intersection (which also essentially a summit) would be a lot better.
 
The current 'suggested' route (just the bike arrow signs) for eastbound riders is to make a left turn off 26 Ave (while going uphill) onto 15 St (even steeper uphill), which is especially terrible if you have to stop to wait for opposing traffic. I don't think I've ever followed the sign but normally just keep my momentum to the T instersection at 14 st, which is a little messy with service stations on each side. Making the jig over at the signalled 20 st intersection (which also essentially a summit) would be a lot better.
I'd rather have the route stay on 26th the whole way to 14th, then figure out a short expanded pathway connection through to Prospect Ave in Upper Mount Royal and on to 8th Street SW.

Consistency, directness of route and protection from cars are the top three for me. Hills exist on any route in that area and any awkward turn off of 26th across traffic is not very safe or direct, especially in higher traffic times. Protected bicycle lanes, even ones on hills, would be far more useful that a strange detour to a quieter road. I don't mind trucking slowly up a hill if I know I am in little danger of being hit from behind at high speed.

That's really the whole thing with our on-street bicycle network - it just needs to be consistent, direct and protected everywhere. I think we waste a lot of energy on weird quirky route issues than thinking through about how to get the full network complete.
 
I agree with most of the above in principle, but I don't think it always translates into reality (especially if we consider timeliness of implementation vs. perpetual stakeholder engagement).

I'd argue that some quirky route-planning is pretty much inevitable, regardless of the infrastructure involved. For instance, trying to make a right turn out of a protected cycle lane that's on the 'wrong' side of the road. Or the terminus of a protected lane. And of course the fact that protected lanes aren't actually protected at the most vulnerable places - intersections (of course signalling can help, but often at the expense of timeliness for all involved).

Which as all to say that I'm not sure dedicated cycletracks as we know them are always the optimal solution - though I'm definitely a big fan of car/parking diets in Main-Street scenarios (not really applicable to this stretch of 26th). Protected cycle lanes on each side of 26th? Sign me up (assuming it won't take 5+ years to happen), though it's still going to require full alert at each intersection.

If it were a question between extending painted lanes the rest of the way on 26th vs. painted lanes (or even just 'sharrows') on 25th, I'd prefer 25th. The one block jig is inevitable either way; I think you can mitigate it just as well at 20th st as at 14th.
 
I agree with most of the above in principle, but I don't think it always translates into reality (especially if we consider timeliness of implementation vs. perpetual stakeholder engagement).

I'd argue that some quirky route-planning is pretty much inevitable, regardless of the infrastructure involved. For instance, trying to make a right turn out of a protected cycle lane that's on the 'wrong' side of the road. Or the terminus of a protected lane. And of course the fact that protected lanes aren't actually protected at the most vulnerable places - intersections (of course signalling can help, but often at the expense of timeliness for all involved).

Which as all to say that I'm not sure dedicated cycletracks as we know them are always the optimal solution - though I'm definitely a big fan of car/parking diets in Main-Street scenarios (not really applicable to this stretch of 26th). Protected cycle lanes on each side of 26th? Sign me up (assuming it won't take 5+ years to happen), though it's still going to require full alert at each intersection.

If it were a question between extending painted lanes the rest of the way on 26th vs. painted lanes (or even just 'sharrows') on 25th, I'd prefer 25th. The one block jig is inevitable either way; I think you can mitigate it just as well at 20th st as at 14th.
Good points and I am sympathetic to all this. I also am not too fussed with the how (cycletrack v. protected cycling lanes), apart from minimizing the awkward transitions as you mentioned.

What I am fussed about is every cycling project being compromised and parceled out with dead-ends, weird transitions, unique on/off main street routes, crazy amount of local input in designs/route locations etc. To your point on timelines, we will never build a strong backbone network that is efficient, consistent and direct if we do as we have been.

Case in point is this discussion: what to do for 26th Avenue SW east of Crowchild only exists because of the piecemeal network roll-out on 26th Ave in the first place. Those painted lanes west of Crowchild have been there what - 10 years? This same "what to do east of Crowchild so people don't get upset" question is identical today as it was back then. It wasn't solved because it was too hard back then too to come up with the right compromise.

Had we just painted those lanes the whole way back in 2012 ish, this discussion would be more about how to iron out the quirks or add better protections. Talk would focus on taking a good network and upgrade it - plus you have 10 years of usage data to show you where the pain points or best investments might be. That didn't happened because politics forced a compromised half-solution we are still debating today. But there really shouldn't need to be push for more compromised solutions for a bicycle network.

The push should be to learn to build cycle network the way we build arterial roads. Arterial roads are straight, direct to destinations and largely consistent for predictable and reliable travel. Perhaps most importantly for the over-politicized cycling infrastructure debates - arterial roads seem remarkably immune to local opposition no matter how costly, loud, polluting or traffic-generating they are. They are just seen as a necessary piece of infrastructure to support the proper functioning of a large city.

Cycling infrastructure should be considered the same, especially where we already have a pretty good network spine west of Crowchild, large amounts of redevelopment and destinations in very close proximity to the downtown core. It's the perfect recipe for bicycle usage (apart from the hills).
 
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26th west of Crowchild was easy to do because it's all half blocks without any homes (or driveways) facing the avenue - and therefore no real parking concerns. The lots on the east side are perpendicular with a bunch of driveways on each side, and a lot more parking use. I'd be totally on board with building it there, but I might direct my energy for 'engagement battles' to some other spots that lack alternative options [as good as 25th Ave].

I suppose I'm just wondering if slapping bike lanes down on arterial roads is always the best play for 'residential' cycling infrastructure, given the shortcomings I've listed related to intersections, etc. Especially in communities on a grid (and without much of a commercial main-street, as is the case here), I think there is a lot of potential to convert a road parallel to an arterial to be 'local vehicles only/no thru traffic' but free flowing for cyclists (and ideally integrating things like continuous sidewalks for pedestrians, too).

For example:
1. 25A street - from the pedestrian overpass at 33ave to Bow Trail (with a ped overpass that essentially links it to the Bow River Pathway):
- currently 26 St is not terrible as a 'sharrow' route, but it could be a lot better (especially since the natural north and south terminus are essentially on 25A street as it is
- going further south from the overpass at 33rd could integrate through Currie and offer a nice direct route to MRU
- it could be as simple throwing down some speed bumps, 30kph speed limit, and reversing the stop signs at Richmond Rd and 23 Ave, but ideally I'd go a few steps further:
- signalled pedestrian crossing that can be activated without dismounting at both 26th and 17th Ave
- vehicle traffic barriers* to further discourage any thru-traffic (like the one I've mentioned before on 25 ave between 14-14a St)

* Perhaps there is a more technical name for these - I think there is a neat opportunity for community building by creating 'faux cul-da-sacs' in the middle of some of these blocks. Another example would be the gates at the south end of 10a/11/11a/12 St in Kensington, which aren't so ugly. For the above example I'd suggest between 25 and 23 aves, as it's a few blocks away from any green space. I envision gating off a ~6x6m section of road (leaving a lane for cyclists), that the community could transform into a mini-gathering-space (e.g. picnic table, fire pit, garden boxes, etc.)
 
Hello, just seeking some opinions. Do you think there is market gap for cycling trips planning app?
I feel like all the existing apps that we can use to plan trips such as Strava, Google Maps, Komoot, bikemaps either lack some features or are too specific.

I haven't found yet any app (for Calgary at least) that will tell me how to get from point A to point B with the option to use only separated bike paths, give information on the quality of the path (is there snow or not) and tell me where can I find bike parking at the end of my trip.
 
Love the idea; not sure there would be a critical mass of users to make it happen. I think part of the problem is that highest mileage cyclists wouldn't have as much need for it

I wonder if such an app exists in places with heavier cycling-culture? But perhaps it is unnecessary in areas with better infrastructure (and less variable weather conditions).
 
Did a nice bike ride down to Fish Creek yesterday and got to use some of the new cycling infrastructure, including the new cycle lanes on third Avenue downtown, and the new pathway on the west side of the Bow River between Ogden Road and Glenmore Trail.

First off the new cycle lanes on third Avenue. A pretty solid upgrade from what it was before obviously, though it’s a shame that the tracks jog back-and-forth and are not consistent all the way through. It is what it is though and I will treat it as a win.

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And now for the new section of path between Ogden Road and Glenmore. One word sums it up, fantastic. So nice not to have to jog to the other side of the river and climb the hill only to go down again. Another thing I love about the new pathway section is it is much wider than other sections of the Bow River pathway. 👍

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And for kicks, I thought I would post the Strava link from the ride as I t was a new personal best for me 👍 I’m guessing there are a few people here on the forum that I’ve done longer rides around Calgary. I’m kind of curious to see where people have gone and which routes they’ve taken.

Check out my ride on Strava.
 
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And for kicks, I thought I would post the Strava link from the ride as I t was a new personal best for me 👍 I’m guessing there are a few people here on the forum that I’ve done longer rides around Calgary. I’m kind of curious to see where people have gone and which routes they’ve taken.

Check out my ride on Strava.
Wow, was the entire trip along the rivers on dedicated pathways? I seem to remember there being a few spots along the Bow where the pathways didn't connect
 
And for kicks, I thought I would post the Strava link from the ride as I t was a new personal best for me 👍 I’m guessing there are a few people here on the forum that I’ve done longer rides around Calgary. I’m kind of curious to see where people have gone and which routes they’ve taken.

Check out my ride on Strava.
Now we all need to spam the Google Maps edit function so these paths will actually show up there, too. (I know about the city's online pathways map which is pretty good, but kinda hard on the eyes and not as easy to navigate).
 
Wow, was the entire trip along the rivers on dedicated pathways? I seem to remember there being a few spots along the Bow where the pathways didn't connect
Almost the entire trip can be done along pathways or bike lanes. Normally I would take the 10th street bike lane all the way to Kensington (construction blockages at the moment), then cross over and cut through Sunnyside. Right now you have to take 9A street, but once Bow to Bluff pathway is completed, you can take that pathway to south side of the Bow.
I took the 3rd ave cycle track and a block of regular road through Chinatown due to the construction mess along the river at Eau Claire, but once that's finished you'll be able to cross the Bow river, and follow a dedicated pathway all the way to Fish Creek, crossing a non busy street only 3 times - twice in Inglewood, and once at the Fish hatchery. There used to be one glaring section that didn't connect and you had to cross the river climb a hill, go back down the hill, and then cross again. That's all been resolved with that new chunk of pathway that has opened up.

Calgary's cycling infrastructure could always use improvement of course, but I have to say, the river pathways are awesome. Same for heading out west to Baker/Bowness Park. Most of it is dedicated pathway or cycle lanes.
 
3rd Ave is great. The worst part is that it disappears in 2 years because the City of Calgary has made a commitment that it is only a temporary construction bypass
Was it always intended to be a temporary detour?

There was a ton of engagement and design work done - seems like a misallocation of funds ./ effort for a temporary project..
 

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