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[Bicycles] Bike lanes and cycling infrastructure in Victoria and the south Island


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#7621 Cassidy

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 12:20 PM

I wonder if you could actually make money providing secure bike lockers, shower, maybe snacks or something

Probably not 10 years ago, but presumably (and I'm not being factious) the installation of some $10 million worth of bike lanes brings exponentially more bicycles into the downtown core as people cash in on our somewhat mild weather (at least "mild" in cycling terms).

 

I'd pay for the perks in your post, if it was offered.

 

The only negative might be the high cost of square footage in the downtown core, which tends to lend support to the concept of the COV offering flat, covered, staffed, somewhat secured parkade space ... even if they offered that space through a private business - the "PPP" formula as it were... but applied to a very secure cycling facility with showers and change rooms.



#7622 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 12:26 PM

 The only option that wouldn't destroy the streetscape is in an existing parking structure, which means losing more vehicle parking spots.

 

doesn't 5 bikes in a stall that was previously used for one car in a parkade at least theoretically free up car parking spaces?  5 expensive bikes owned by what would ordinarily be a car-driving and parking stall user?


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2019 - 12:27 PM.


#7623 Nparker

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 12:28 PM

doesn't 5 bikes in a stall that was previously used for one car in a parkade at least theoretically free up car parking spaces?

Only if those 5 cyclists were previously driving and parking their vehicles.



#7624 Jackerbie

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 12:30 PM

^ Theoretically it would decrease demand for vehicle parking spaces, but there is still a loss of vehicle parking spaces.



#7625 Cassidy

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 12:50 PM

^ Theoretically it would decrease demand for vehicle parking spaces, but there is still a loss of vehicle parking spaces.

Theoretically ... if it was 5 guys like me, they'd be leaving their F-150 at home, and those vehicle spaces would never be missed.

If the COV is going to implement a bike strategy, then they have to implement a bike strategy ... the strategy can't be mired in a bunch of "what if's" related to lost vehicle parking spots.

We've already lost hundreds of vehicle parking spaces in the downtown core in the past few years, what's the loss of 50 or 100 more in order to complete a 7 or 8 million dollar COV bicycling strategy.

 

Completing the strategy properly has nothing to do with being pro or anti bike ... it's got to do with proper management of taxpayer dollars.

Leaving a multi-million dollar project that's been supported 100% by taxpayer dollars incomplete and unfinished is fundamentally ripping off the taxpayers ...  those same taxpayers and downtown workers left wandering around town looking for a place to securely park their bike for the workday ... and finding nothing at all that comes even close to fitting the bill.



#7626 Nparker

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 01:04 PM

As long as secure bike storage comes out of the existing active transportation budget and doesn't require any additional taxpayers funds then I am all for it.



#7627 spanky123

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 01:17 PM

As long as secure bike storage comes out of the existing active transportation budget and doesn't require any additional taxpayers funds then I am all for it.

 

Of course if our downtown wasn't such a cesspool then one could reasonably expect that a bike, properly secured to a bike rack, would be there 10 minutes after you parked it and we wouldn't need "secured storage". How come the bike advocates don't draw those comparisons to their European cities?


Edited by spanky123, 21 February 2019 - 01:18 PM.

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#7628 TallGuy

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 03:18 PM

When, oh, when are they going to sequence the lights going east on Fort after work. I feel like I'm punished for choosing this route over, say, Johnson.

 

Logic would dictate that you would head east on Fort and west on Pandora after work, so I don't get this at all. It's an uphill ride and you hit every light in the same direction of ICE traffic.

 

When reading up, I realize this tags on nicely to Cassidy's comment about never completing the job.


Edited by TallGuy, 21 February 2019 - 03:20 PM.

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#7629 Mike K.

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 04:12 PM

I wonder if you could actually make money providing secure bike lockers, shower, maybe snacks or something

 

Looks like someone tried and failed.

 

To make it work you'd need to charge a meaningful monthly rent. Charging $30/month would require over 150 bikes per day just to pay the rent, let alone the rest of the costs involved and an income. If you were to charge $100/month you'd get pedalled out of town.


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#7630 Coreyburger

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 04:35 PM

Looks like someone tried and failed.

 

Chain Chain Chain did for years but they sold the business (which is still in business as Broad St Cycles).



#7631 LJ

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 07:29 PM

Just turn a surface parking lot into this

 

amsterdam1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&a


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#7632 Mike K.

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 07:33 PM

Ah, so CCC’s new ownership chose not to pursue the storage? Seems like relatively easy passive income if the place was also a bike shop. But maybe people’s varied schedules created a headache?

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#7633 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 07:36 PM

chain chain chains lockup compound was behind the monty’s hotel not at the actual broad street shop. maybe that space was no longer available.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2019 - 07:37 PM.


#7634 Coreyburger

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Posted 21 February 2019 - 09:03 PM

chain chain chains lockup compound was behind the monty’s hotel not at the actual broad street shop. maybe that space was no longer available.


They actually moved while still Chain Chain Chain - old space was behind Monty's, new space is where Broad St is now. Not sure why they stopped.

#7635 FogPub

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 02:53 AM

Those would largely be for the tenants and residents of the buildings themselves though. They do nothing for the hundreds of older downtown buildings that house the COV's primary work force.

 

The COV has been very aggressively selling its bike strategy for years now, and having completed the bike lanes downtown at somewhat of an elavated cost ... doesn't it make sense that folks would now logically ask "OK ... but where do I park my bike securely now that I'm downtown?"

 

Folks like myself asked if shoppers were to go shopping on their bikes if parking spots for cars were to be eliminated in order to facilitate bike lanes ... we were told "yes - shopping on your bike is easy".

But is seems that it's not so easy when you can't leave your bike anywhere downtown without the elevated risk of having it stolen.

 

It seems to be a huge (and perhaps inexcusable?) omission in the COV's very public and very expensive cycling strategy. It seems that truly secure individual bicycle parking was something that should have been developed in concert with the bike lanes, rather than well after the fact, and with internet pundits like myself wondering on a forum how in the heck I'd secure my E-Bike downtown for 8 hours every workday such that I didn't have to worry about it still being there when I went to ride home?

 

The entire issue of there being no real secure bike parking downtown seems completely contrary to what the most senior of COV politicians are now, and have for years been saying publicly about cycling in downtown Victoria?

 

It seems to encourage folks (at least it does me) to suck it up, pay the gas and parking fees, and just continue to drive my truck to work every day ... at least a truck is hard to steal, definitely likely to still be there for the drive home, and one doesn't have to worry about where to put it with many options for monthly vehicle parking in the downtown core?

Shopping's easy on a bike?  Codswallop.

 

Two cases of beer and a bag of groceries do not a fun bike ride make.

 

As for your vehicles, were it me I'd split the difference between an electric bike and a truck and just get a small hybrid car - best of both worlds.


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#7636 Cassidy

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 06:37 AM

Shopping's easy on a bike?  Codswallop.

Two cases of beer and a bag of groceries do not a fun bike ride make.

As for your vehicles, were it me I'd split the difference between an electric bike and a truck and just get a small hybrid car - best of both worlds.

I certainly didn't say shopping was "easy" on a bike, but those who support the level of cycling called for in the COV cycling master plan say "try it". My point was that one can't really test that theory if one can't park their bike downtown to actually go shopping without it getting stolen.

But more importantly, I'm not purchasing an e-bike to replace my truck, because my truck is a required item for some of my pursuits ... no two ways about it.

 

I'm purchasing an e-bike to increase my cardio vascular capacity, lose weight, tone muscle, and otherwise try to stay healthy at 62 years of age. Hopefully, as all of those things that need improving start to improve over time ... I'll become less and less dependent on the "E" portion of the bike, and get to the point where my body is proving 90% of the motive power.

I propose to do that by riding to and from work each day, thus reducing the dependance on my truck for that task by at least 75%.

 

But I can't do any of that if I can't park a $2500.00 - $3500.00 e-bike securely somewhere downtown ... and know it will still be there at the end of the day.


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#7637 sebberry

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 07:42 AM

I'm purchasing an e-bike to increase my cardio vascular capacity, lose weight, tone muscle, and otherwise try to stay healthy at 62 years of age.

 

No need to spend 2k on an e-bike for that.  That's what a $500 stationary bike is for.  If you set it up in front of the TV, you can pedal harder during the zombie chase scenes in The Walking Dead.  


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#7638 Cassidy

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 08:59 AM

No need to spend 2k on an e-bike for that.  That's what a $500 stationary bike is for.  If you set it up in front of the TV, you can pedal harder during the zombie chase scenes in The Walking Dead.  

Having lived with myself for 62 years, I know myself far too well (sometimes to my detriment) to purchase a stationary bicycle that, despite great plans to "get in shape" by exercising in front of the TV ... in reality it would sit in whatever room I choose to unpack it in completely unused.

For me, exercise has to be blended with another activity that I feel obliged to participate in ... or I just don't (and won't) "just do it".

 

A perfect example is going on a longish hike with my daughter, in which spending time with my daughter is the overriding mandatory activity with the exercise as the secondary benefit.

Because the likelihood of me going on a hike by myself - for my health - pretty much sums out at zero.


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#7639 rjag

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 09:02 AM

Having lived with myself for 62 years, I know myself far too well (sometimes to my detriment) to purchase a stationary bicycle that, despite great plans to "get in shape" by exercising in front of the TV ... in reality it would sit in whatever room I choose to unpack it in completely unused.

For me, exercise has to be blended with another activity that I feel obliged to participate in ... or I just don't (and won't) "just do it".

 

A perfect example is going on a longish hike with my daughter, in which spending time with my daughter is the overriding mandatory activity with the exercise as the secondary benefit.

Because the likelihood of me going on a hike by myself - for my health - pretty much sums out at zero.

 

Yup, Thats why I have a dog...rain, snow or heat I'm walking anywhere from 60-75km per week with her. 


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#7640 Hotel Mike

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Posted 22 February 2019 - 09:06 AM

 

 

 pretty much sums out at zero.

Pretty much, but not quite zero. Do it Cassidy. Go on a longish hike with your daughter, and say you were inspired by VV.


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