Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[DSCToronto]

The applicable text from the backgrounder:

View attachment 690476

Simple answer, close a vehicle lane for a lovely new sidewalk and then use the old sidewalk for bikes!

 

[H4F33Z]

My take: The city should redirect their resources (for the time being) to upgrading their old legacy bike lanes to cycle tracks and building multi-use trails and cycle tracks in the wide boulevards of suburban roads in the meantime to create that suburban cycling network that the city desperately needs without removing lanes and providing really nice bike lanes that invite people to cycle on them (but they won't do that because that makes too much sense).

I know they are doing that, like on Bathurst and a portion of Steeles, they're just not doing nearly enough of it.

 

[sebajun]

The city should start installing permanent infrastructure for all of the existing network so it is extremely difficult and expensive to remove. Use the budget to save what we have, before Ford has another dumb idea.

 

[Northern Light]

My take: The city should redirect their resources (for the time being) to upgrading their old legacy bike lanes to cycle tracks and building multi-use trails and cycle tracks in the wide boulevards of suburban roads in the meantime to create that suburban cycling network that the city desperately needs without removing lanes and providing really nice bike lanes that invite people to cycle on them

Yes.

(but they won't do that because that makes too much sense).

I know they are doing that, like on Bathurst and a portion of Steeles, they're just not doing nearly enough of it.

Uh......that's what's planned on Ellesmere, on (northern) Weston, on Keele, and they are doing Sloane mostly by narrowing existing lanes, but also boulevards as well.

On MUPs, there will be more Meadoway work next year, Humber Gap is advancing, and more are in the offing as well.

Additionally, several bike lanes/light cycle tracks are scheduled for upgrades in the next 2-3 years. If they are stifled it will have to do with loss of parking and councillors, not staff.

Greenwood is in the hopper, so is Cosburn.

Don't be quite so hard on staff.

 

[kotsy]

Unbelievable! DoFo is the worst.

 

[Mihairokov]

As written it says the number of lanes cannot be reduced but it does not stipulate that lanes cannot be narrowed. To further @H4F33Z 's post, we can still upgrade current bike lanes and have them eat into lanes if we wanted to be particularly passive-aggressive about things.

 

[Northern Light]

As written it says the number of lanes cannot be reduced but it does not stipulate that lanes cannot be narrowed. To further @H4F33Z 's post, we can still upgrade current bike lanes and have them eat into lanes if we wanted to be particularly passive-aggressive about things.

The City are very open to narrowing lanes.

They would generally have to meet the minimum guidelines of 3.0M for a through lane and 3.3M for a curb lane.

So if the lanes are only slightly wide, you may not find enough room; but its always worth looking at, and considering blvd width or medians at the same time.

 

[TwinHuey]

The City are very open to narrowing lanes.

They would generally have to meet the minimum guidelines of 3.0M for a through lane and 3.3M for a curb lane.

So if the lanes are only slightly wide, you may not find enough room; but its always worth looking at, and considering blvd width or medians at the same time.

This issue was raised a couple of times during the Kingston Road virtual public meeting on Tuesday.

Staff member Anthony Smith did a solid job of explaining it, noting that the proposed 3.0 m lane width, combined with the maximum truck and bus widths, still provides adequate clearance.

I thought it might help if people could compare that to roads they’re already familiar with — to get a better feel for what a 3.0 m lane actually looks like.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure which local streets currently use that standard (maybe Brimley? Midland?). If anyone knows of examples, that could make it easier to visualize.

FYI, the meeting overall went really well — generally positive feedback from residents.

 

[Northern Light]

I thought it might help if people could compare that to roads they’re already familiar with — to get a better feel for what a 3.0 m lane actually looks like.

Danforth Road, just north of Danforth Avenue:

3M interior lane, 3M curb lane.

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

The province will apparently now outright ban lane reductions for bike lanes, removing the previous ability to get provincial approval for reductions:

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

The MTO would still have the ability to make exemptions through regulation. Whatever that means.

From what I gather, it's worse than that. TTC Riders argued in their Bluesky post this could also apply to other uses such as bus lanes, curbside patios, and street festivals.

TTCriders (@ttcriders.bsky.social)

Today's announcement by Doug Ford on the so-called "Fighting Delays, Building Faster" Act is yet another attempt to interfere with Toronto's streets and the way we get around, opening the path for the province to ban dedicated transit lanes. Read our release...

bsky.app

Yes.



Uh......that's what's planned on Ellesmere, on (northern) Weston, on Keele, and they are doing Sloane mostly by narrowing existing lanes, but also boulevards as well.

On MUPs, there will be more Meadoway work next year, Humber Gap is advancing, and more are in the offing as well.

Additionally, several bike lanes/light cycle tracks are scheduled for upgrades in the next 2-3 years. If they are stifled it will have to do with loss of parking and councillors, not staff.

Greenwood is in the hopper, so is Cosburn.

Don't be quite so hard on staff.

Wonder which parts of The Meadoway are being considered? I recall Bermondsey to Eglinton was supposed to start soon, but not sure if other segments are also on the short list.

 

[Northern Light]

Wonder which parts of The Meadoway are being considered? I recall Bermondsey to Eglinton was supposed to start soon, but not sure if other segments are also on the short list.

That is the one that was on the top of my head.

I believe the tiny section through Jack Goodland (east side of Kennedy) may be on the to-do as well. (using the existing bridge to get across the rail corridor then connect to the trail segment they just built further east) .

But don't hold me to that one.

 

[Coolibop]

The province will apparently now outright ban lane reductions for bike lanes, removing the previous ability to get provincial approval for reductions:

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

The MTO would still have the ability to make exemptions through regulation. Whatever that means.

There are rumors about the push to remove transit lanes next... I'm unsure how this affects rapidTO sections where bike and transit lanes are shared (as it relates to bike infrastructure).

 

[GameOnBrad]

BTW Knox Ave got some love this past summer as well. When they repaved the road, they added an elevated bike path. This is between the Canada Post Letter Processing Facility and the Toronto Fire offices, along Eastern Avenue.

Walked by today. Fully painted.

 

[txlseries4]

Just listened to a podcast episode titled “Are Bike Lanes Good for Cities?”, focusing on Toronto’s bike lanes. Dr Shoshanna Saxe was the guest and presented well articulated arguments to the oft-asked questions and skepticism around bike lanes and their justification. For anyone else who talks about this stuff with others or spends time considering the issue, it’s a great listen. Fairly short too, about 35 min.

Edit to replace the link:

Are Bike Lanes Good for Cities? — Good for Cities — Overcast

overcast.fm

 

[afransen]

There are rumors about the push to remove transit lanes next... I'm unsure how this affects rapidTO sections where bike and transit lanes are shared (as it relates to bike infrastructure).

That would be crazy. I think even Ford would struggle to justify how getting buses stuck in traffic would help congestion.