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Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

^ It's excellent to see a dialog happening on this. A surprising number of cyclists I've discussed this with are unaware of TorStar's incredibly good articles and their campaign for change, unfortunately just as they've raised a paywall, albeit it's easy to get around, and even if that isn't used, the 'first five articles are free' (of every session that you allow to place cookies in your browser's memory).

Many of these cyclists, friends I do distance with...and many of who wear helmets, and lecture on it (spare me), are oblivious to dangers that some of these intersections present. Kudos to the Star for featuring what some of us have been pointing out for years, to the apparently deaf.

That Jarvis one is far better, and far more intuitive. Agreed...with caveats.

We have to dwell on 'intuitive for who?' For many of us cyclists? To an extent. For motorists? Not even close.

You have to start with defining "what does Green mean" to even form a base for intuition. *Even most cyclists* haven't a clue on what the Green defines!

I took photos of Green Boxes to TPS last Summer, and asked their traffic sergeants (I was directed to the Traffic Division in Liberty Village) to get their answers on how they interpreted the obvious clash between Toronto Bylaw and the HTA. In a court of law, the HTA is gospel in terms of precedence. Many "bike boxes" violate the HTA and the attendant MTO directives for road markings and signs.

I've detailed these prior in this string months ago, with pics posted and querying discussion on the matter. There were no answers. TPS asked me to make this an issue with City Council. I won't go into the details, but they offered any assistance they could provide short of it becoming political and that it must understandably be by my own doing. Fair enough...

But getting back to that turning lane...
Why isn't there more green with the bike logo on top?
Whoa! There's already *far too much green* to the point of it being colour farce painted to oblivion. First off, that paint is not of the grade prescribed by the US agency whose protocol is ostensibly being used by Toronto. It's slippery as fuck in spots, dangerous, and misleading as to what it means.

Kindly explain to me just what it means?
As for road markings the green paint should be underneath the bike symbols as well as crossing the entire intersection so that it is even more clear to both cyclists and motorists what the expectation is.
Agreed. Save that your observation must be taken further. You're alluding to *assigning* markings and arrows.

Imagine a motorist, (and this appears to be almost all of them) is unaware of the updates to the HTA and other road safety developments, let alone city bylaws. Where is the explicit direction for motorists? I'm right up on this issue, and I *still* can't separate what is intended without ambiguity. Does a right turn arrow on green indicate: For Cyclists? For Motorists? For Both? It's not made clear. At all...

And then there's the case of the solid or broken line adjacent to the green lane, wherever or whatever it is. Practice is completely random on it. Even accounting for the traffic planners adapting each intersection to need (I cut them a lot of slack on that presuming they even have that skill), why is "what's intuitive" so incredibly at odds with practice elsewhere?

Ontario, for some God unknown reason, charge for renewing your licence, but never retest for understanding the rules every few years, like many advanced nations do, and have done for eons. *Most drivers would fail a driving test!* They just don't give a fug on 'updates and changes to the HTA'.

OK, as a cyclist, you're approaching an intersection behind a motorist who is unsure of how to 'commit to the turn' (right in this instance). They attain the curb lane to effect the turn, but it's clumsy but still meets the needs of the HTA. (ANY! turn under the HTA from one lane to another, no matter what vehicle, including bikes, requires *attaining that lane* before effecting the actual turn).(Edit: With a couple of defined exceptions for long trucks and service vehicles)

Said vehicle in front chooses the centre of the lane instead of hugging the curb. A choice is presented to the following cyclist: "Go around left or right?" If in doubt, you *stop behind the vehicle*. You have no idea of whether the driver knows you're there or not if you don't get eye contact in his/her mirror, so logic and common sense alone dictate stopping until your safety is assured to move ahead. That's also the law.

In almost *every case* if other cyclists are following, and they may or may not ring their fugging bells will stream on both sides of said vehicle, instead of doing what common sense and the law dictate, which is to stop behind me. And this inevitably delays the car turning, and any cyclists moving ahead who are stopped safely behind.

Best I stop here, I'm still pumped from the day's cycle, and my patience is strained.

The bottom line is, and this is what three posters above are all in agreement with, as I am, is that the infrastructure is one of the only factors left to make sanity out of chaos on the roads, especially at intersections.

Lest I appear too acerbic, beyond doubt, some intersections are far less dangerous than others. The dialog above is a huge step, if done by a lot more, to get this right.

Btw: Thumbs up to all three posts above, as the dialog is not only refreshing, it's critically needed!

Addendum: Staring at that Jarvis right turn pic, I see a number of issues which I want to think about before commenting further, but one observation jumps out like an elephant from hiding behind the door;

The lanes are too wide! This is part of a much larger debate for getting traffic to slow, and ostensibly forcing drivers to be more disciplined, and that pic writes it large! The curb lane is *two cars wide* by European standards!

Which lends itself to discussion on whether the cycle lane shouldn't actually be 'cyclists only'!

That may be impractical, it would be good discussion, but all the points raised above would be rendered moot if the curb vehicle lane was just one car wide, and cyclists couldn't pass *within that lane* (which technically isn't allowed under the HTA anyway). Cyclists would have to use their own dedicated lane which would be accommodated by slimming at least the present curb lane (and a bit of the other two as well, but I digress)

Oh man....drivers would just love that, but until drivers and cyclists learn to follow protocol, flow must be dictated, not left to intuition, at least at that level. Intuition is always needed, but it shouldn't be for such a simple and obvious task taken care of in the Dutch and Danish models (and other nations).
 
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I'd sent the TorStar article on Bay/Richmond intersection an hour back to a cycling alumni, since he was a cycling partner today, and not aware of the TorStar series.
We spent rush hour watching cyclists and drivers navigate an ‘absolutely terrifying’ Toronto intersection. Most did it wrong
Just got a reply:
Excellent article! This conversation is long overdue. The truth is most people don't understand how to navigate those intersections and you can't blame cars for being antsy about moving too far right when you've got ignorant cyclist who will scream at them and spit on their cars as they pass them on both sides.
Not hyperbole by any means, I've seen it time and again at Richmond and Bathurst, where the cycle lane was delineated towards the centre across right turning cars going north on Bathurst.

I actually had to get off the bike one day last summer to physically remove cyclists not only spitting, but threatening a female driver who'd done everything by the book, the problem being the book was a lie. She was in tears...

Right now that corner is all ripped up for construction.

Here's how it used to look: (apologies, Google is too recent on this one, if anyone knows how to find previous iterations, please reply, I've forgotten how to do it, but this recent one shows something even more perplexing, see the second pic after this one)

upload_2018-6-30_1-19-14.png


Note the overhead signs, let alone the pavement marking. Anyone care to make sense of this?

upload_2018-6-30_1-23-4.png


https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6465...4!1sovdXmxiVMozRb4bwi57D3Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Let me precis the conundrum:

Is that "(Right turn arrow) Bicycles excepted" mean bicycles can or can't make a right turn? Because immediate reading of it indicates 'bicycles are excepted from turning right'.

Or does it mean (gist) "Cars must turn right, bicycles have option of turning right or proceeding straight ahead" ?

What a freakin' mess...Someone should give Toronto Roads a lesson in basic English, let alone logic.

Addendum:

Figured out how to scroll back in time, check this out:

upload_2018-6-30_1-38-13.png


upload_2018-6-30_1-39-37.png


https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6465...4!1sY2NmDQ_grXviRHJneNdmvg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Anyone care to venture what the rationale is with this? It makes some sense on first glance, until realizing for drivers, there's absolutely no delineation of the 'safe passage' (the 'sharrow' shenanigans beside) that drivers must observe when crossing the suggested flow.

That scenario has sixth-sense alerts all over it, not the least the required over-shoulder almost impossible visual check for cyclists to not get run over.

This is what gives Danes and Nederlanders heart attacks, not being out of shape, but from ridiculous road infrastructure and non-directions.
 

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Just got this email about the East Don Trail Extension:

East Don Trail Project Update - Construction Notices
Hello,

With detailed design completed for Phase 1 (from Lower Don Trail to Bermondsey Road) and Phase 2 (from existing East Don Trail to Wigmore Park at Elvaston Drive) of the East Don Trail project, construction is set to begin in September 2018. In preparation for commencement of construction, the contractor will be on site to complete locates and surveys.

Please visit the Document Library(on the right-side of the project page) to find the following documents:

  • Construction Notice for Phase 1
  • Construction Notice for Phase 2
  • On-site Construction Signage for Phase 1
  • On-site Construction Signage for Phase 2
  • East Don Trail Tree Removal Factsheet
Please continue to visit the project website for regular updates on construction progress. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to submit them in the Q and A section of the site.


Kind regards,

The Project Team

Construction will start this September and finish in December 2019! For both phases interestingly enough, Just in time for that warm summer December weather.... .... ... o_O

Interestingly, the documents in the library (here) are in conflict with each other.

This is the proposed trail alignment (the portion in black)

vcNjjIo.jpg


And this is phase 1 of the construction update

sEyihgZ.jpg


Ok looks fine.

Now, heres phase 2:

kZCZzPZ.png


Uhh, hold on, wait what?

It doesn't even connect to phase 1!

This means you will have to go on the street and cross a major intersection to get to phase 1, and the rest of the Don Trail.

This is ridiculous. The entire mandate of this extension was

The East Don Trail Project will create a key connection in the City of Toronto’s multi-use trail system by closing a gap between the existing East Don Trail (East of Wynford Heights Crescent), the future Gatineau Corridor Trail (at approximately Bermondsey Road), and the Lower Don Trail System.

Thats literally off their website and the official purpose of the trail.

Except now they don't connect. They aren't closing the gap. And there has been no explanation as to why. Considering the years of public consultations that this went through, this last minute, out of the blue undocumented change is kind of a slap in the face to all that time spent planning. Spend millions in planning, years in consultation, and then just do whatever you want anyways.

While the new, out of nowhere connection to Wigmore Park is a nice addition, it is not a replacement for doing the project the correct way, as in the preferred alignment.

Ridiculous, this city can't get anything right.
 
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There is phase 3 to connect the two. Otherwise the whole project wouldn't make sense.
"
The trail will be constructed in three (3) phases as follows:

1) The section of trail to be constructed in Phase 1 extends from the Lower Don Trail, over Taylor Massey Creek, along the Toronto Water access route, through the lower section of the ravine towards Flemingdon Park Golf Club and east through the Gatineau Hydro Corridor, terminating at Bermondsey Road. Phase 1 will be initiated in 2018.

2) Phase 2 is planned to extend from the existing East Don Trail south to Eglinton Avenue East, with construction potentially commencing in 2018.

3) Phase 3 will connect Phase 1 and Phase 2, from Eglinton Avenue East south to the Gatineau Hydro Corridor. Phase 3 construction commencement is to be determined."

https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...tations/infrastructure-projects/eastdontrail/

Just got this email about the East Don Trail Extension:



Construction will start this September and finish in December 2019! For both phases interestingly enough, Just in time for that warm summer December weather.... .... ... o_O

Interestingly, the documents in the library (here) are in conflict with each other.

This is the proposed trail alignment (the portion in black)

vcNjjIo.jpg


And this is phase 1 of the construction update

sEyihgZ.jpg


Ok looks fine.

Now, heres phase 2:

kZCZzPZ.png


Uhh, hold on, wait what?

It doesn't even connect to phase 1!

This means you will have to go on the street and cross a major intersection to get to phase 1, and the rest of the Don Trail.

This is ridiculous. The entire mandate of this extension was



Thats literally off their website and the official purpose of the trail.

Except now they don't connect. They aren't closing the gap. And there has been no explanation as to why. Considering the years of public consultations that this went through, this last minute, out of the blue undocumented change is kind of a slap in the face to all that time spent planning. Spend millions in planning, years in consultation, and then just do whatever you want anyways.

While the new, out of nowhere connection to Wigmore Park is a nice addition, it is not a replacement for doing the project the correct way, as in the preferred alignment.

Ridiculous, this city can't get anything right.
 
Just got this email about the East Don Trail Extension:



Construction will start this September and finish in December 2019! For both phases interestingly enough, Just in time for that warm summer December weather.... .... ... o_O

Interestingly, the documents in the library (here) are in conflict with each other.

This is the proposed trail alignment (the portion in black)

vcNjjIo.jpg


And this is phase 1 of the construction update

sEyihgZ.jpg


Ok looks fine.

Now, heres phase 2:

kZCZzPZ.png


Uhh, hold on, wait what?

It doesn't even connect to phase 1!

This means you will have to go on the street and cross a major intersection to get to phase 1, and the rest of the Don Trail.

This is ridiculous. The entire mandate of this extension was



Thats literally off their website and the official purpose of the trail.

Except now they don't connect. They aren't closing the gap. And there has been no explanation as to why. Considering the years of public consultations that this went through, this last minute, out of the blue undocumented change is kind of a slap in the face to all that time spent planning. Spend millions in planning, years in consultation, and then just do whatever you want anyways.

While the new, out of nowhere connection to Wigmore Park is a nice addition, it is not a replacement for doing the project the correct way, as in the preferred alignment.

Ridiculous, this city can't get anything right.


Puts hand up.

Sorry, that's me. LOL

Well, not exactly me; but many of us who work with the City on environmental issues have deep reservations about the preliminary phase 3 option. That, in combination w/the fact that the scope as designed exceeds the budget is delaying phase 3 for now.

Phase 3 will do some damage to a wetland complex of decent value.

The City is prepared to consider doing that, in order to complete the trail and invest in some 'mitigation'.

However, taking the trail along the east side of the river in that area, as proposed is still quite expensive. I don't believe the construction option was settled, but might be vehicle grade, metal boardwalk on piles, or could involve other expensive techniques to reduce damage in an environmentally sensitive area.

Not cheap.

The project is also costly because Metrolinx is insisting on universal grade separation of the trail from its track; the number of bridges, including river crossings is a bit nuts.

****

The preferred option was to go up the west side of the river in this area, using land at the edge of the golf course.

Some of that land is public land (TRCA), some is private.

The golf course did not want to play ball.

As such the City moved to an option on the west side of the river that is much more controversial. Between that and rising costs, phase 3 is delayed.

I believe there is some hope the Golf Course may yet be persuaded.

In the meantime, both of the phases being constructed are useful.

The southerly linkage connects the Forks of the Don, and trails from the Lower Don, West Don (ET Seton Park) and Taylor Creek, and links them up to Bermondsey and the Gatineau Trail (east of Bermondsey is a different funding envelope and project team, but it is proceeding)

The northerly phase will allow access from Wynford Drive, Moccasin Park and Milne Hollow down to Wigmore Park, with access to Sloane Avenue (Bermondsey).

Progress, in increments.
 
the real link will be to the hydro corridor - it will provide a key missing link allowing cyclists to travel from downtown into durham region and scarborough on exclusively on dedicated trails.

The Gatineau Corridor path abruptly ends at Ellesmere and Orton Park/Military Trail. There's no easy way to get down to the Highland Creek Ravine, and on to Pickering via the Highland Creek Trail and the Waterfront Trail. There really needs to be a multi-use path on one side of Ellesmere towards Centenary Hospital and UTSC. There's a rough trail down to Highland Creek behind the hospital, but it's not suited to bikes. I also tried a back way via Cedar Ridge Park, but it too was rough and I walked my bike a fair distance down a switchback and in a forested area (though I spotted several deer down there).
 
the real link will be to the hydro corridor - it will provide a key missing link allowing cyclists to travel from downtown into durham region and scarborough on exclusively on dedicated trails.
This will be a huge breakthrough. I found out my hitherto 'safe' way into Toronto from north Pickering is no longer safe. That was to come down White's Rd to Petticoat Creek Park and in along the lakeshore, and a somewhat connected route through to the beginning of Taylor Creek Park trail strung together with park trails, side streets, cemeteries and a short stretch on St Clair East.

Traffic on White's Rd has become incredibly dangerous. (Speed limit is 80 kph now north of housing, and some do 100 or more) I ended up walking the gravel shoulder from just south of Steeles, where the old White's Road is still extant allowing what was once a relatively safe way in down sideline 26 via Whitevale Rd, the latter two now 'closed' to through traffic, albeit open to local still (what a mess, I presume it's the sanitary trunk being installed) https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Ha...6aee56d8df0e21!8m2!3d43.2557206!4d-79.8711024

So a new way in from the east is needed. It's suicide to risk any other way in from the east...or much of any direction for that matter. GO in and out to safe cycling country is one of the few ways to survive.
 
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The Gatineau Corridor path abruptly ends at Ellesmere and Orton Park/Military Trail. There's no easy way to get down to the Highland Creek Ravine, and on to Pickering via the Highland Creek Trail and the Waterfront Trail. There really needs to be a multi-use path on one side of Ellesmere towards Centenary Hospital and UTSC. There's a rough trail down to Highland Creek behind the hospital, but it's not suited to bikes. I also tried a back way via Cedar Ridge Park, but it too was rough and I walked my bike a fair distance down a switchback and in a forested area (though I spotted several deer down there).
I believe the city is paving a new trail that extends under Ellesmere west of the hospital, connects to the Gatineau Hydro Corridor Trail, and connects to the existing trail south of the hospital right now. Or at least it was scheduled to be built this year.
 
The Gatineau Corridor path abruptly ends at Ellesmere and Orton Park/Military Trail. There's no easy way to get down to the Highland Creek Ravine, and on to Pickering via the Highland Creek Trail and the Waterfront Trail. There really needs to be a multi-use path on one side of Ellesmere towards Centenary Hospital and UTSC. There's a rough trail down to Highland Creek behind the hospital, but it's not suited to bikes. I also tried a back way via Cedar Ridge Park, but it too was rough and I walked my bike a fair distance down a switchback and in a forested area (though I spotted several deer down there).

Highland Creek trail to Ellesmere is approved and funded, if it hasn't already, it should start construction shortly.

The missing links that remain in the Gatineau Corridor will be filled by the Meadoway project which has its own thread. It it funded with a 7 years timeline to completion.

It will link all the way to Rouge Park.
 
This will be a huge breakthrough. I found out my hitherto 'safe' way into Toronto from north Pickering is no longer safe. That was to come down White's Rd to Petticoat Creek Park and in along the lakeshore, and a somewhat connected route through to the beginning of Taylor Creek Park trail strung together with park trails, side streets, cemeteries and a short stretch on St Clair East.

Traffic on White's Rd has become incredibly dangerous. (Speed limit is 80 kph now north of housing, and some do 100 or more) I ended up walking the gravel shoulder from just south of Steeles, where the old White's Road is still extant allowing what was once a relatively safe way in down sideline 26 via Whitevale Rd, the latter two now 'closed' to through traffic, albeit open to local still (what a mess, I presume it's the sanitary trunck being installed) https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Ha...6aee56d8df0e21!8m2!3d43.2557206!4d-79.8711024

So a new way in from the east is needed. It's suicide to risk any other way in from the east...or much of any direction for that matter. GO in and out to safe cycling country is one of the few ways to survive.

Two new ways are en route.

Gatineau will likely come first; but the Scarborough Waterfront Trail, eastern leg (Scarborough Bluffs to Pickering is approved. I don't believe the funding is fully in place yet, but I'm hearing 2020 for construction start, we'll have to see.

Western leg (Scarborough Bluffs to Balmy Beach still has to undergo an EA so its probably mid-2020s.

You can also look for a couple of other investments. The City of Toronto and York Region have come to terms on widening and rebuilding Steeles east of Markham Road.

That will come w/bike lanes (can't remember if they are protected).

There are a couple more, but I don't think I can mention them just yet..... (property negotiations pending)
 
I also tried a back way via Cedar Ridge Park, but it too was rough and I walked my bike a fair distance down a switchback and in a forested area (though I spotted several deer down there).
This raises a serious change I've had to institute since the tick problem has become so acute. I almost always cycle distance in shorts, with socks rolled down to the ankles (parly for ankle protection when cutting through brush) but my habits have severely changed lately since in Canada (for what are probably good reasons, but everything is a balance of factors) "Tick Spray" is an oxymoron in terms. It's questionable whether DEET is effective even as a deterrent, let alone kill ticks, and beyond that, no other really effective spray is available.

I was searching for new ways into Hamilton yesterday from the west, there's some incredible roads and trails there, and was just searching Google to review some trail shortcuts to access the TH&B trail, there's quite a few, but Hamilton area is a real hot-spot for ticks, warning signs up on all the trails, and stories in the press.

I *love* finding those incredible back lanes and trails away from traffic, but....

Question: Has anyone found anything better than DEET to at least deter ticks? Some sources claim DEET is almost completely ineffective, and I don't mind exploring 'unassumed roads' in the least, regular bugs are just a nuisance, but ticks are a very serious issue. Middletown Road, for instance, is now 'off-limits' for me to use on the trail part until I can find something proven to deal with ticks. There's some incredible stretches on that trail just south of the 401.

Anyone?

It it funded with a 7 years timeline to completion.
lol...I'm less than a year away from 70, still pumping out the miles (did well over 50 kms yesterday, would have done double save for the shitty weather, I need clear sunshine to run my bionic photocells) but hopefully I'll still be able to do it in seven years.

I'm very fortunate in being hyper-kinetic from years of thyroid cancer. Now I get the payoff, but one can only cheat the clock for so long...
 
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lol...I'm less than a year away from 70, still pumping out the miles (did well over 50 kms yesterday, would have done double save for the shitty weather, I need clear sunshine to run my bionic photocells) but hopefully I'll still be able to do it in seven years.

I'm very fortunate in being hyper-kinetic from years of thyroid cancer. Now I get the payoff, but one can only cheat the clock for so long...

Wait, your thyroid cancer helped you be hyper-kinetic? Or are you saying it motivated you to be healthier to beat it?
 

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