2302 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Aren't the anti-car folks always complaining about the free storage of personal automobiles on public property when ranting about free parking?

 

Maybe the free storage of personal bicycles should come to an end.

 

This is right downtown, where there is generally no free car parking.  There is free bike parking outside of this concierge.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 March 2023 - 04:20 PM.

[Mike K.]

I think those are technically called bicycle donation stands. 

 

And the concierge is de facto a bicycle security compound.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Town of Sidney has dropped two proposed bike lane projects as priorities in its draft active transportation plan because of public opposition.

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The town received hundreds of letters about the draft plan and more than 1,000 responses to a public survey, exceeding the response to any other online survey the town has conducted, including a survey on the Beacon Wharf replacement, a topic that sparked protests.

Forty-six per cent of respondents said they do not want to see any new or improved bike projects in Sidney, a staff report said.

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Three per cent of trips in ­Sidney are done by bike, according to the Capital Regional District’s 2017 Origin Destination Survey.

Noting that 45 per cent of Sidney residents are over 65, Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith told council he appreciates that many older residents rely on having parking close to their destinations.

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Corey Burger, policy and infrastructure chair for Capital Bike, said he was struck by how negative public response was to bike infrastructure, which he said is unique in the region.

“There’s always negative commentary around bike ­infrastructure. It’s polarizing, unfortunately. But the sheer ­volume of the negative, I think, is what really struck me,” he said.


https://www.timescol...eedback-7081764

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 June 2023 - 02:31 PM.

[dasmo]

The swing of the pendulum to the left is a measure of the swing to the right. 

[lanforod]

Wish Corey still participated here, but I think he's out to lunch to expect that Sidney would welcome spending tons of money on something it does not need. There is no argument that Sidney needs them.

[GaryOak]

They're just going to be pushed back 5-10 years but they will be built in time.

[Victoria Watcher]

They should be built - when other major roadwork is needed to coincide. Not before.

[Nparker]

...Corey Burger, policy and infrastructure chair for Capital Bike, said he was struck by how negative public response was to bike infrastructure, which he said is unique in the region...

Perhaps not so unique. Which other municipalities have even allowed their residents any legitimate input into the expansion of "active" transportation?

[LJ]

There are bike riders all over Sidney, I don't know why they need bike lanes, they take over a lane of traffic in the downtown core. Which is fine with me, you can't get going much faster than 20 kph in your car anyway. Short blocks, lots of stop signs etc. restrict you.

[Victoria Watcher]

A Victoria charity that promotes cycling in the B.C. capital is searching for its prized electric cargo bike after it was stolen from outside the non-profit group's office on Tuesday.

 

The custom-built cargo bike, valued at approximately $10,000, was double-locked to a bike rack on Hillside Avenue around 5 a.m. when a thief used tools to cut through the high-end locks.

 

Surveillance video provided to CTV News by the group, Capital Bike, shows a man using bolt cutters and a battery-powered grinder to saw through the locks, which the group says cost $250 each.

 

The thief then leaves his own bicycle at the scene as he walks away with the electric bike.

 

 

https://vancouverisl...theft-1.6449067

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 June 2023 - 02:59 PM.

[aastra]

 

The thief then leaves his own bicycle at the scene as he walks away with the electric bike.

 

Are we sure the guy wasn't just a cycling enthusiast who misunderstood how the share programs work?

[aastra]

 

The custom-built cargo bike, valued at approximately $10,000, was double-locked to a bike rack on Hillside Avenue around 5 a.m. when a thief used tools to cut through the high-end locks.

 

So... doesn't it seem a bit odd that you would leave such an expensive bicycle locked up outside overnight in Victoria -- near Hillside and Quadra, no less -- and expect it to be there in the morning? I don't want to blame the victims here but even back in the day I don't think many people would have dared to leave a valuable bike out in the open around there even if it had been worth one-tenth as much.

[LJ]

I agree, we are selling the rather expensive locks for our bikes because we will never leave them anywhere unless we are right there with them.

[Matt R.]

So... doesn't it seem a bit odd that you would leave such an expensive bicycle locked up outside overnight in Victoria -- near Hillside and Quadra, no less -- and expect it to be there in the morning? I don't want to blame the victims here but even back in the day I don't think many people would have dared to leave a valuable bike out in the open around there even if it had been worth one-tenth as much.

No way. I lived in the area, mid 90’s. If anything, it’s better now!

[Barrrister]

When did a bike become worth ten grand? Seems to be someone with more dollars than sense.

[Mike K.]

Bicycle thefts have been a major point of contention in Victoria, politically as much as socially.

 

This is not going to go over very well, as the underlying issues that led to the theft of this $10k bike are interwoven politically with cycling advocacy groups.

 

[UDeMan]

Just wait for the increase in bike thefts when all these people that bought e-bikes with the government rebates hit the streets.

They'll take their $5000 e-bike down to the grocery store to buy some milk, lock it up with a $20 lock, and it will be gone before they go through checkout.

[Matt R.]

Locks don’t mean anything anymore. A $50 battery powered grinder will take care of anything in minutes.

Best part is the grinder is free.

[Victoria Watcher]

Indeed. Cordless tools - mostly stolen - have fuelled the catalytic converter theft trade too.

[Mike K.]

Thanks, truckers.