Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[W. K. Lis]

...

Pneumatic tires, for instance, had been perfected by Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop in 1887 for use in bicycle racing. These made it possible for cars to be simultaneously fast and comfortable. Meanwhile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen — built in 1886 and generally considered to be the first car — used spoked tricycle wheels, a bicycle chain, and a differential gear made by British bicycle creator James Starley. In a very real sense, the Benz (which would lead to the Mercedes-Benz company) was a tricycle with a motor attached.

So how did this surprising history get forgotten?

The bicycle was written out of most histories of the Good Roads Movement for a few different reasons.

To some degree, it was inadvertent. Because most of these early cyclists quickly became motorists and car advocates, it was easy for historians to overlook the pivotal role of the bicycle in the movement's first few years.

But in some cases, Reid argues, the elimination of the bicycle from this history was quite deliberate. "Eventually, cycling came to be seen as a proletariat activity, something you did if you couldn't afford a car," he says. "So an awful lot of wealthy motorists went out of their way to hide their roots as cyclists." Many of these motorists were the ones who later wrote the history of the Good Roads Movement.

What's more, automobile companies had an interest in retaining control of the roads, and in putting their product at the center of the story. In 1927, for example, the Ford Motor Company's promotional materials said the Model T "started the movement for good roads everywhere." Today, Reid points out, curator Suzanne Fischer of the Henry Ford Museum sets the record straight: "It wasn't car owners that first demanded better roads," she says in a museum video, "it was bicycle riders":

Just a few decades after the birth of the Good Roads Movement, the bicycle's place in it was largely forgotten. In his 1929 autobiography, Horatio Earle — the creator of Michigan's State Highway Commission and one of the first people to propose the idea of the interstate highway system — described this irony:

"I often hear now-a-days, the automobile instigated good roads; that the automobile is the parent of good roads. Well, the truth is, the bicycle is the father of the good roads movement in this country," he wrote. "The bicycle is to be given credit, not only as the pioneer of the good roads movement but also as the parent of the automobile."

https://roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/

WRONG in 2007, wrong today:

 

[Towered]

Big Federal infra $$$ announced for Covid-related investments.

These specifically include Bike Lanes, Bike Paths, Walking Trails, along with upgrades to schools and LTCs.

Total sum is 3.3B, (nationally), not clear what Toronto's share will be but likely at or above our population level so, 260M+ ; funding covers 80% of project costs.

Could fund a great many things; Loop Trail announced by Mayor, portions of Eglinton Connects, Finch Hydro Corridor Trail, maybe a Bike Share expansion?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/infrastructure-mckenna-covid19-pandemic-communities-1.5674929

* work is to be complete by end of 2021

Think of how many km of separated, protected bike lanes could be built with that cash...

 

[Northern Light]

Think of how many km of separated, protected bike lanes could be built with that cash...

Yonge Street may be a real possibility.

The City was not supportive of that idea in downtown, though there is pressure to reconsider; but north of Davenport, the City was already supportive of bike lanes.

I expect that may be one project to get some $$$.

Outside of that, I'm not sure how much you'll see that isn't already on the City's list (Avenue Road, Donlands etc.) and upgrading what's already there.

Jane is on the list for Transit Priority lanes and will likely get bike lanes at the same time; that may come next year.

Eglinton is already addressed (but not yet funded) through Eglinton Connects.

Steeles will pick up some bike lanes through the rail grade separation at Kennedy for a short distance.

Finch West is getting lanes within the LRT project space.

 

[robmausser]

Railpath is too tight but there are other trails that are EA done and ready to go

Would be neat if some of it could be directed to a later-summer expansion wave of Bike Share stations but I don't know if they have the internal capacity to plan and deliver that on such short notice.

Eglinton Connects would be a great thing to just get dedicated funding, especially if it means the project can be jumpstarted to coincide with the opening of the Crosstown, but I also see that as too distant of a project timeline to interest current politicians (why is it that we plan based on electoral cycles anyway?).

Eglinton Connects would be nice but they have to finish all the work to repave the road, including the underground portions. Its just not ready unfortunately.

 

[Northern Light]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1291152262702800902

 

[MisterF]

When it comes to snow removal, has that ever demonstrably been the case?

It just takes some quick googling to confirm that it is the case. Scandinavian cities get lots of snow but they have excellent cycling networks including year round ploughing. But inevitably someone in the thread is going to play the "we're not Europe" card, so here in North America cities like Ottawa, Edmonton and Minneapolis now plough their protected bike lanes too. These cities are just as cold and snowy as Toronto so there's no reason that we can't do the same here.

 

[Max Sterling]

Think of how many km of separated, protected bike lanes could be built with that cash...

Or why not simply repave already built and separated sidewalk infrastructure to be dual use for pedestrians and bikes? Of course this wouldn't be practical where you have alot of pedestrian traffic, but anywhere outside the downtown core in the suburbs you can go many kilometres and see little to no people walking around so why not convert those sidewalks and let bikes use them?

Get more use out of that severely underutilized infrastructure and its also much safer for cyclists to not share the road with vehicles at all. I'll never understand why when the government builds new sidewalks they don't simply increase the width of those sidewalks abit more so that you can have enough room for bikes as well instead of making bike lanes on the roads.

 

[Admiral Beez]

It just takes some quick googling to confirm that it is the case. Scandinavian cities get lots of snow but they have excellent cycling networks including year round ploughing. But inevitably someone in the thread is going to play the "we're not Europe" card, so here in North America cities like Ottawa, Edmonton and Minneapolis now plough their protected bike lanes too. These cities are just as cold and snowy as Toronto so there's no reason that we can't do the same here.

No, no.... of course it’s been done elsewhere. I’m asking if it’s ever been demonstrably the case in Toronto.

 

[MisterF]

^The city has a winter cycling network. But even if it didn't, you have to start somewhere.

It's disappointing that the ActiveTO bike lanes don't include any crossings of the 401. There are precious few safe ways to cross the 401 on a bicycle. There are two recreational trails in valleys, bike lanes on Progress Ave that go nowhere, and lanes on Conlins Road are slightly better connected but not by much.

The new lanes on Wilmington/Faywood and Huntingwood will have no connection to the existing bike network south of the 401. But the biggest hole in the network is the lack of a safe way to get from North York Centre to the rest of the city, which will become especially obvious if Yonge in NYCC gets protected bike lanes. Most of the 401 crossings are no man's land for cyclists but I don't see addressing that on anybody's radar.

https://brandondonnelly.com/2020/05/30/toronto-approves-40-km-expansion-of-cycling-network/

 

[Northern Light]

 

[Northern Light]

 

[SFO-YYZ]

That image of St. Denis and Peel streets in Montreal look more like Holland, though I wonder how they handle intersections (I am sure that is where Montreal ends up falling short).

The REV lanes constructed on St. Denis seem to partially address issues at intersections, with concrete islands, wide sidewalks extending into the street to create safe space for cyclists waiting/turning. These are interim solutions for this year but I know next year they'll be doing utility works along large stretches of St. Denis so they REV may get another upgrade. The current MTL mayor Valerie Plante is very keen on getting the REV (reseau express velo) built, as part of her original campaign platform.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1263166203155091463

 

[W. K. Lis]

North York's Cycling Black Hole . From link.

When looking at Toronto’s cycling map, there appears to be a large black hole in North York bounded by the Don trail system, the Finch hydro corridor, the Humber River Trail, and the Beltline Trail (or Eglinton). It is a reality I face whenever I bike to work near Dufferin and Lawrence via the West Toronto Railpath and Caledonia. Bike lanes do exist on Marlee – which I used often when heading to certain downtown destinations after work – but they don’t connect to anything north of the Beltline. It is a shame, given the large amount of employment lands along Caledonia and near Downsview Park. Last month, I checked out the proposed York University and Downsview connections while doing some municipal election volunteering with Progress Toronto to better understand how to fill this hole.

One of the comments...

Anonymous11/11/2018, 12:09
I have always known the 35 year strong Councillor for the area, Maria Augimeri, to be pro-cycling. She has been pushing for a bridge over the New Market / Barrie rail line to connect the area north of Wilson Avenue (east side of tracks) with the new residential area on the west side of the tracks (technically part of Downsview Park). Once built, cyclists coming from the downtown area and going to York University can completely avoid Wilson, Sheppard, and Keele. Two unfortunates though: (1) Last I heard it is expected to be at least 10 years before the bridge over the RR tracks is built and (2) Maria Augimeri is no longer Councillor. Instead, non-cyclist supporter James Pasternak has been elected.

 

[robmausser]

North York's Cycling Black Hole . From link.

One of the comments...

There are some improvements since 2018

Willdowdale now has bike lanes.

I'd really like to see the bridge under the 401 proposal become a reality

Furthermore there are a TON of areas in North York where the curbs are huge and dedicated bike trails could be implemented on them.

York Mills https://goo.gl/maps/4KqPbhKDddLKugEAA

Leslie https://goo.gl/maps/ag3tHCH994Agv4Lp7

Bathurst: https://goo.gl/maps/6qvAhvLevw5uGjxB7

But its more expensive than painted lines so unfortunately thats what we get.

Heres whats planned at least

 

[WislaHD]

I'd really like to see the bridge under the 401 proposal become a reality

Who can this be tweeted to in order to gain attention?