Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[TwoWheelPoli]

The City of Toronto just updated their cycling public consultation page and one more project has emerged. Keele from Finch to Steeles.

Keele Street Safety and Bikeway Improvements

November 2025: City staff will present recommendations to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee at their meeting on December 3. A copy of the staff report is available under agenda item IE26.6. You can arrange to speak or submit comments to the Committee by contacting the Administrator at...

www.toronto.ca

While there are not any public meetings scheduled, you can fill out a survey until Monday, October 20. Here are a couple of diagrams to show what is being proposed to save @Northern Light some work.

 

[Northern Light]

The City of Toronto just updated their cycling public consultation page and one more project has emerged. Keele from Finch to Steeles.

Keele Street Safety and Bikeway Improvements

November 2025: City staff will present recommendations to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee at their meeting on December 3. A copy of the staff report is available under agenda item IE26.6. You can arrange to speak or submit comments to the Committee by contacting the Administrator at...

www.toronto.ca

While there are not any public meetings scheduled, you can fill out a survey until Monday, October 20. Here are a couple of diagrams to show what is being proposed to save @Northern Light some work.

View attachment 687133
View attachment 687134

TY for the labour saving.

Did a quick scan. Fine from a cycling perspective, but I don't like the street tree removal on the one side, while we retain a fairly useless median that makes crossing distances longer.

Trim or eliminate the median, add a row of street trees to buffer pedestrians and cyclists from traffic.

 

[slicecom]

The Esplanade bike lanes are now complete from Scott St to Market St. Still a gap missing between Market St and George St though.

 

[DSCToronto]

The Esplanade bike lanes are now complete from Scott St to Market St. Still a gap missing between Market St and George St though.

View attachment 687430View attachment 687431View attachment 687432

It is all too typical of the City that the Cycling Group did this before the Street Repair Group got around to grinding and repaving the (fairly small) deteriorated areas/utility cuts. Both are part of Transportation Services and one might have hoped that these two would cooperate but.... SIGH!! I expect to see the grinders on site any day now (or, maybe, never!)

EDIT:

It is even stupider than I thought. That block is on TOInView for resurfacing in 2025!!

 

[slicecom]

It is all too typical of the City that the Cycling Group did this before the Street Repair Group got around to grinding and repaving the (fairly small) deteriorated areas/utility cuts. Both are part of Transportation Services and one might have hoped that these two would cooperate but.... SIGH!! I expect to see the grinders on site any day now (or, maybe, never!)

EDIT:

It is even stupider than I thought. That block is on TOInView for resurfacing in 2025!!

View attachment 687456

Just noticed they added this very awkward diagonal intersection crossover at Market Street, forcing cyclists to cross over the path of cars proceeding straight.

EDIT: In other Esplanade related news, streetcars coming to The Esplanade according to signage at the loading zone!

EDIT 2: The parking garage has an attendant standing often in the bike lane, directing traffic the wrong way up the one way street into their garage. I’ve noticed this numerous times over the past week. Also numerous eastbound drivers are driving straight into the bike lane in order to turn right into the hotel/parking garage.

 

[tallcoleman]

streetcars coming to The Esplanade according to signage at the loading zone

I think this is the general sign they use for all transit stop yields, including for bus platforms. See: photo from north side of Bloor just west of Bedford.

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

The Esplanade bike lanes are now complete from Scott St to Market St. Still a gap missing between Market St and George St though.

View attachment 687430View attachment 687431View attachment 687432

The Market to George gap will be addressed with Phase 3 which involves permanent construction. The latest I read from the website is construction is expected to start this fall, though I wouldn't be surprised if this gets pushed back to 2026.

 

[DSCToronto]

The Market to George gap will be addressed with Phase 3 which involves permanent construction. The latest I read from the website is construction is expected to start this fall, though I wouldn't be surprised if this gets pushed back to 2026.

View attachment 687636

The contract for Phase 3 (which is bundled with the work on David Crombie Park) was just awarded (Somerville, I am happy to see!). I doubt any work will start this fall but it IS moving onwards. SEE: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.GG24.7

In parallel with the park revitalization, Transportation Services is delivering streetscape ,road safety, pedestrian and cycling improvements as part of a complete street approach. This includes:

:• Reconstruction and upgrade of the existing bi-directional cycle track on the southside of The Esplanade between George Street South and Berkeley Street/Hahn Place, raising the bikeway to sidewalk level for improved safety and accessibility]
• Construction of two new blocks of cycle track between Market Street and George Street South to close the gap between the existing bikeway on The Esplanade and Mill Street, creating a continuous east-west cycling connection from Yonge Street to Bayview Avenue
• Signal and safety enhancements at Lower Jarvis Street and Lower SherbourneStreet
• Raised crosswalks and intersections to prioritize pedestrian movement
• Curb extensions to shorten pedestrian crossings and slow turning vehicles
Streetscape features are coordinated with the Old Town Toronto BIA and extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement for the Transportation Services scope has been underway since 2019, ensuring strong alignment with community needs andp riorities.These improvements align with key Council-approved policies, including the City’s Official Plan, Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, and TransformTO. The project’s goals are to improve safety for all road users, promote walking, cycling, and transit and enhanceaccessibility and connectivity to local and city-wide destinations.
Together, the integrated delivery of park, streetscape, road safety, pedestrian andcycling improvements will provide a transformational upgrade to the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood improving safety, accessibility, and public space for current and future residents.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

The City of Toronto just updated their cycling public consultation page and one more project has emerged. Keele from Finch to Steeles.

Keele Street Safety and Bikeway Improvements

November 2025: City staff will present recommendations to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee at their meeting on December 3. A copy of the staff report is available under agenda item IE26.6. You can arrange to speak or submit comments to the Committee by contacting the Administrator at...

www.toronto.ca

While there are not any public meetings scheduled, you can fill out a survey until Monday, October 20. Here are a couple of diagrams to show what is being proposed to save @Northern Light some work.

View attachment 687133
View attachment 687134

The Keele pieces look good, though I always have to do a double take at how city maps show "existing cycling facilities," like the ones on Finch West, below.

While the newly installed Metrolinx lanes along the LRT line are good west of Tangiers road, east of that it looks like this:

No city should be calling this kind of thing "cycling facilities." Sharrows and paint lanes that suddenly end and dump you into 2-3 lanes of high speed traffic are, in my opinion, worse than nothing at all.

I will note the city has the stretch of Finch West from Dufferin to Keele marked for "future study" on the latest near-term cycling plan map. Of course this was made pre-Bill 212...

It would be truly nice if they could replicated the Keele MUP treatment at sidewalk level on Finch, and avoid the wrath of 212. But there are trees and a pretty narrow boulevard, which might make this tough.

Lastly: what's up with Alness from Finch to the Hydro Corridor? It shows new cycle tracks as being underway in the 25-27 plan, but last I rode by a few weeks ago, I saw road resurfacing works, but didn't notice bike lanes.

The city says this was happening last year, but I feel like that was delayed. I'll take a closer look soon.

 

[GameOnBrad]

Harbord Street Cycles lanes east of Grace Street are all done.

And west of Grace Street, it's a mess ...err ...construction zone (for now).

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

The Keele pieces look good, though I always have to do a double take at how city maps show "existing cycling facilities," like the ones on Finch West, below.

View attachment 687841

While the newly installed Metrolinx lanes along the LRT line are good west of Tangiers road, east of that it looks like this:

View attachment 687842View attachment 687843
No city should be calling this kind of thing "cycling facilities." Sharrows and paint lanes that suddenly end and dump you into 2-3 lanes of high speed traffic are, in my opinion, worse than nothing at all.

I will note the city has the stretch of Finch West from Dufferin to Keele marked for "future study" on the latest near-term cycling plan map. Of course this was made pre-Bill 212...

View attachment 687849

It would be truly nice if they could replicated the Keele MUP treatment at sidewalk level on Finch, and avoid the wrath of 212. But there are trees and a pretty narrow boulevard, which might make this tough.

Lastly: what's up with Alness from Finch to the Hydro Corridor? It shows new cycle tracks as being underway in the 25-27 plan, but last I rode by a few weeks ago, I saw road resurfacing works, but didn't notice bike lanes.

The city says this was happening last year, but I feel like that was delayed. I'll take a closer look soon.

Curious to find out more. Thought Champagne was done already?

 

[GameOnBrad]

Also on Harbord Street. Well, sloppy work on these yellow plates. It looks like the workers tried to pull these coverings off in some areas but the asphalt and concrete has (basically) cemented it in place without a hammer and chisel, or something to scrape, to get it off cleanly.

I guess cyclists won't care but that's pretty sloppy work, imo. It would have been incredibly more efficient to remove the film and clean these off before the asphalt and cement hardened.

A machine must have drove over this one with asphalt on the treads. Not sure how this will be cleaned off. I don't think rain will even wash that off.

 

[DSCToronto]

Also on Harbord Street. Well, sloppy work on these yellow plates. It looks like the workers tried to pull these coverings off in some areas but the asphalt and concrete has (basically) cemented it in place without a hammer and chisel, or something to scrape, to get it off cleanly.

I guess cyclists won't care but that's pretty sloppy work, imo. It would have been incredibly more efficient to remove the film and clean these off before the asphalt and cement hardened.

View attachment 687864

View attachment 687865

View attachment 687866

View attachment 687868

A machine must have drove over this one with asphalt on the treads. Not sure how this will be cleaned off. I don't think rain will even wash that off.

View attachment 687867

They also failed to remove plastic covering of the tactile strip on The Esplanade but I assume it will eventually come loose- and become litter.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Maybe the city can fenagle something with the southside of Gerrard during the Regent Park development with dual track so that the four driving lanes are unaffected. Gerrard is really dangerous otherwise, as inpatient car/truck drivers trying to pass the streetcar must come within inches of cyclists.

Has there been any discussion or planning about separated lanes on Gerrard between River and Parliament? We can’t close vehicular lanes, so any bike lanes must come from the south side, with the sidewalk pushed back.

 

[Carpe Diem]

The Market to George gap will be addressed with Phase 3 which involves permanent construction. The latest I read from the website is construction is expected to start this fall, though I wouldn't be surprised if this gets pushed back to 2026.

Any idea on what happens between Yonge and Bay where The Esplanade current ends? It's all a part of the CIBC Square construction site at the moment, but does it eventually turn into a space where one could cycle to Bay, and Union station direct?