Bike lane plan spinning it wheels

Nice thought to have protected bikeways in Toronto, physically separating cyclists from pedestrians and from cars, making it safe for all.

Unfortunately the plan to do them on University Ave., from Richmond St. to Wellesley St. will not work. It does not connect anything to anything. It will just provide politicians like Rocco Rossi a wonderful excuse to say that “we are not a bicycle city,” as it will not increase the number cyclists significantly.

In fact, the purpose of having protected bikeways is to increase the current number of cyclists. It would allow people that are not currently cycling because of fear of cars an opportunity to try it in a safe way. This is especially attractive for children, older adults, as well as inexperienced adults.

Nevertheless in addition of having physical separation on arterials, when roads have speeds for cars of 40 km/h or higher and/or over 5,000 cars per day, you need to connect places of origin to places of destination. You need a minimum grid. Toronto is approximately 20 by 40 kilometres; it would be ideal to have a protected bikeway every 2-3 kilometres so that you would have 8 going East – West and 16 North South.

An initial trial should have at least one route North - South from Eglinton Ave. to Lakeshore Blvd. (along University or Yonge) and another East – West on streets like Richmond St. and Adelaide St. all across the city. Ideally the trial should have three in each direction -- a mini grid which then could expand.

People who are not currently cycling in Toronto will not begin to do so just because you have 1,300 metres of protected facility that does not connect places. The existing cyclists will be the only users, maybe adding a few that are using other roads and will move over to try this one, but they are not additional riders.

 It will not show any significant increase and it will not serve to make the case for protected bikeways in Toronto. Actually it will have the opposite effect.

The only positive aspect is that it will educate people on what a “protected bikeway can look like”, even if it is on the wrong side of the street. It should always be uni-directional, on the left, from slow to fast: sidewalks for pedestrians, protected bikeways, then slow car lanes, then fast cars.

Why is it that Toronto is so timid, so scared of thinking big and acting big?

We have one innovative pedestrian crosswalk at Yonge and Dundas, the “scramble” that allows a time for pedestrians to walk in all directions, and three years later we have two. In similar cities like Christchurch, New Zealand, they try one, it works, and within six months they have all the crossings along that main street as a scramble.

Toronto announces it is bringing public bikes and then the director of transportation announces on CBC that “the system is not proven” and the decision is postponed. He does not realize the places like Copenhagen have had it for 20 years; Paris has 20,400 public bikes for the last two years and Montreal now has its very successful Bixi program.

Finally we were going to get the first protected bikeway. We know that in addition to the bikeway itself, we need connectivity, a grid. We get 1.3 kilometres! Can you imagine cars or transit if they just had 1,300 metres of streets or rails at a time? Where could they go to?

Thinking small, acting smaller.

Let’s keep this in mind as we choose our candidates for Mayor and Council across Ontario. Toronto is already good; let’s elect the right people to make it truly great. Who has the vision, political will and managerial capacity to get things done? Who is not afraid to think big and hopefully to act big? There are some good municipal staff all over the GTA, and they deserve to have the best politicians providing the necessary leadership and support. The community has the obligation to think carefully who to elect and to participate in the process.

About Gil Penelosa

Comments

[Mr. W. Baxter]

Bikes ? Wow 80 % of the time they never use the bike lanes . 80 % of the time they never obey the rules . They never pay to be on the road as per vechiles do .Bike lanes cause MORE pollution and more grid lock . End of story .

[Logan]

@lins

Sorry, but you're wrong, this city is a transit city, people get around via car, bike, subway, streetcar, or just plain walking.

Technically, a bike is allowed {legally} to use up an entire lane of traffic if they so choose, would you prefer that bikes do THAT on University without specific lanes for them, or would you want the bike to be behind a barrier and away from your ever-so-precious car?

[Photo Chick]

I can't believe so many people still don't get it... I mentioned this yesterday as well, but a bike has just as much legal right to take up an ENTIRE lane of traffic as a car does. We share the road because we can fit into a smaller space next to the curb, but if we wanted to, we could take up the entire lane. While some bike lanes get misused by DRIVERS who want to park in them with their emergency lights on (and drivers, getting a cup of coffee from Starbucks is NOT an emergency; legally you cannot turn on your flashers if you're just stopping), most allow cyclists a way to share the road without being in anyone's way.

Cyclists need to band together and start using up entire lanes of traffic. I pay property taxes, income taxes, and retail taxes. I have just as much right to use the road I pay for as a driver does.

PS: I have a driver's license, I know the rules of the road (and I apologize for the idiot cyclists who don't follow them), and I don't ride on sidewalks. I ride to work whenever possible, walking or taking the TTC otherwise. Having kids is not an excuse, you CAN wake up 15 minutes earlier, eat breakfast earlier, and plan your day better.

[Jose]

I think transit and the subway system should be fixed and expanded first, before anything else. Then when options are now more available for the public, then they can go ahead and install bicycle lanes on major roads such as University. As for now, the bicycle lanes should only be put on small inner roads throughout mid-town and downtown Toronto, especially those really narrow streets, like those in the areas in-between major roads in the city. Perhaps even closing down some to only cyclists and pedestrians. We've reached this level.

[Patricia Pytel]

First of all, money for the upkeep of roads also comes from taxes, not just licencing fees. That means that cyclists and drivers both pay for the roads. In addition, cyclists do less damage to the road than cars and many cyclists, like myself, have both a car and a bike. I don't disagree that perhaps we should look at licences for cyclists, but it is a poor argument that cyclists don't pay for the roads and therefore shouldn't expect better infrastructure.

Paris became a cycling city within 2 years after introducing their now hugely popular public bike-share program. Perhaps a similar program here would spur the development of a comprehensive bike lane network. There certainly isn't anyone here with the political will to do anything about the poor system without a game changer to spur the need.

Yes, it is possible to cycle in winter. http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/search/label/bicycling%20in%20winter

And if you have kids, it is possible to drive them around with a bike trailer or cargo bike (which they love), and my friend's 9-year old rode 25k in the Ride for Heart last year. Ride to school with your kids, get them to be more active.

http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/search/label/bicycles%20and%20children

[Don't hate]

There is simply no debate. Can anyone name me a major city that has achieved long term progress on gridlock by simply building more roads?! If it was that easy, there would be dozens of examples to point to. There are none. More cycling and transit will ease gridlock. More drivers will not. There is simply no debate.

[cindy]

A bike lane on University will only become another parking lane for taxi's and delivery trucks. Bike lane on Simcoe has become just that. Everyday the taxi's/delivery trucks are parked in the bike lane - forcing bike riders to have to go around them, into vehicle lanes. Doesn't make much sense.

[lukev]

Bren, cycling in winter is easy, you just have to dress warmly. In Copenhagen and Netherlands you will see the majority of people still cycle when the temperature is below 0 and it's snowing.

Watch this video, cycle rush hour in the snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMv3OB6XHvQ

But if you want to continue using the weather as an excuse to be lazy, by all means do so.

[Owen Rafferty]

I agree with you about the need for protected bikeways, in so many of the articles published about bike lanes and bike accidents in Toronto, they are not even mentioned. I have posted a blog making my case for bike lanes: owenrafferty.blogspot.com.

[Transity Cyclist]

Yes, I agree. This protected bike lane should also cover Dangerous Avenue Road north of Bloor, at least to Davenport Road, and south to at least Front Street to allow access to Union Station. That would make so much more sense.

Also, I hope that cyclists are not expected to exclusively use the protected bike lane. Cyclists will be needing to access places on University Avenue itself or make right turns. The function of a bike lane should only be to provide a safe refuge for cyclists uncomfortable in mixed traffic. Bike lanes should not be a space where all cyclists must ride in.

[Transity Cyclist]

I hate it how anti-bikes make up any random statistic or fact just to make their fake point that no one uses bike lanes, no one cycles, etc. Are they blind? Do they suffer tunnel vision?

[Transity Cyclist]

@ lins,

Just because you can't bike, doesn't mean those that can bike should be denied the option to.

[EF]

Maybe if these people who ride bicycles could learn the rules of the road, they would be helping themselves. We do not need bike lanes in this city. It's an unnecessary expense we can't afford. Learn the rules of the road and you won't get hit and you won't screw up traffic any more than you have already. Cyclists should be "seen and not heard" until they start paying road tolls, etc like other vehicle drivers! If you don't like lit; walk or take the TTC> but please stop Whining!!

[Llewelyn]

I kinda like the idea of having a bike lane for cyclists to encourage young and adult people to be interested in biking. It's environment friendly at the same time it might lower the cases of car accident. But if this project won't work for the city I dont think this is worth it.

[Peter]

@BTL - Out of curiosity, how long did that ride take you? I currently cycle to Long Branch and take the train downtown from there, but I've often wondered how long it would take to cycle the rest of the way.