Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[TossYourJacket]

Cummer cycle track today. The narrow car lane was refreshing, but I wish the cycle path was paved with something other than asphalt:

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It would be nice if we weren't too cheap to pay for the green paint for cycle lanes. I can totally see that part where it's next to the road being mistaken by inattentive drivers as an extra car lane. The green paint can also provide extra traction and having some colour is always nicer than more black asphalt.

 

[myself]

ActiveTO is permanent!! Council also passed the bike plan today. Some great additional motions passed too.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1471642374682124288

 

[Steve X]

I'm not trying to be anti-cycling but I have to say that the bike lanes on Dundas and River area made that area so much more congested on top of the redeveloped Regent Park condos. The 505 now claws through there.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Don't mean to revive a months-old conversation from the dead, but something out of Waterloo Region that caught my eye:

From:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1465686302225883137

Looks like the first such implementation of this type of infrastructure in Ontario - looks like a safer method of handling transit rider-cyclist interactions and I hope to see it come to Toronto in the future.

Now that Dundas East is permanent I hope the city will install this at River St. westbound pronto.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1269312545426419712

 

[Admiral Beez]

I'm not trying to be anti-cycling but I have to say that the bike lanes on Dundas and River area made that area so much more congested on top of the redeveloped Regent Park condos. The 505 now claws through there.

I have attended many of the Regent Park redevelopment meetings from 2002 onwards and I asked back then that the redevelopment be set back to allow for a bike line, plus a car lane and a streetcar lane. Instead they built it with only two lanes, and then when bike lanes were finally considered they had to take away the car lane. The city is about to make the exact same error with the final Regent Park projects along Gerrard St, where they should be incorporating bike lanes into the plan, but won’t. So now Dundas is a mess from Parliament to the DVP and often Broadview.

There are only two fixes I can think of. Make Dundas East streetcar and bicycles only, like King St. and divert the cars trying to get to the DVP onto Gerrard, Adelaide and Queen St. Or, widen Dundas from Parliament to River to allow for three lanes (bike, car, transit).

 

[innsertnamehere]

Don't mean to revive a months-old conversation from the dead, but something out of Waterloo Region that caught my eye:

From:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1465686302225883137

Looks like the first such implementation of this type of infrastructure in Ontario - looks like a safer method of handling transit rider-cyclist interactions and I hope to see it come to Toronto in the future.

Toronto has had this for over a decade. Other cities implementing it are literally calling it the "Toronto solution".

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[H4F33Z]

Toronto has had this for over a decade. Other cities implementing it are literally calling it the "Toronto solution".

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

This is not the toronto solution, The Toronto solution does not usually includes a pedestrian waiting island. Pedestrians usually wait on the crosswalk to then the bus picks up passengers directly on the bike lane.

^Above in Waterloo is only starting to gain traction in Toronto

 

[christiesplits]

I've been told that there was significant concern raised by the Greektown BIA to Councillor Fletcher and transportation staff about the long-term impact of the Danforth lanes. In a nutshell, the Greektown BIA, a fairly stuffy bunch - especially the older Greek restaurant owners - said that a large portion of their business are for large events and wedding receptions, and the lanes could scare away business. Of course, they didn't mention the long stretches of parking space immediately north of the BIA, or the fact that the strip is served by three subway stations.

 

[H4F33Z]

I've been told that there was significant concern raised by the Greektown BIA to Councillor Fletcher and transportation staff about the long-term impact of the Danforth lanes. In a nutshell, the Greektown BIA, a fairy stuffy bunch - especially the older Greek restaurant owners - said that a large portion of their business are for large events and wedding receptions, and the lanes could scare away business. Of course, they didn't mention the long stretches of parking space immediately north of the BIA, or the fact that the strip is served by three subway stations.

I'm curious to know the before and after response of business owners; after one year, after 2-3 years

 

[Northern Light]

I've been told that there was significant concern raised by the Greektown BIA to Councillor Fletcher and transportation staff about the long-term impact of the Danforth lanes. In a nutshell, the Greektown BIA, a fairy stuffy bunch - especially the older Greek restaurant owners - said that a large portion of their business are for large events and wedding receptions, and the lanes could scare away business. Of course, they didn't mention the long stretches of parking space immediately north of the BIA, or the fact that the strip is served by three subway stations.

Was the concern parking spaces or traffic volume?

In so far as it was the former; I'd wager a single off-street, Green P garage would make a lot of people who might drive to such an event much happier than trying to parallel park on Danforth.

As it so happens..........that's coming....... or at least its under serious consideration.

For those concerned, its not about significant net new parking.

Its about current Green P surface lots going away; and putting spaces under a new development.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Was the concern parking spaces or traffic volume?

In so far as it was the former; I'd wager a single off-street, Green P garage would make a lot of people who might drive to such an event much happier than trying to parallel park on Danforth.

As it so happens..........that's coming....... or at least its under serious consideration.

For those concerned, its not about significant net new parking.

Its about current Green P surface lots going away; and putting spaces under a new development.

ohh do the Annex next!

 

[Northern Light]

ohh do the Annex next!

The big opportunity in the Annex will be the Metro supermarket site when they vacate; at least as the east end of the area.

Unless Green P has a deal under Mirvish Village, the only way that the Borden lot goes away, in part is with redevelopment on the adjacent stretch of Bloor.

Even then, at least a portion of Borden is likely to end up as a park.

Further west, the lot on Clinton is likely going to shrink or go away, last I heard it was being looked at for a second exit for Christie Stn.

Further east, the St. George Station expansion project is likely to take some parking off line, at least temporarily, but I suspect i might not return.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I'm not trying to be anti-cycling but I have to say that the bike lanes on Dundas and River area made that area so much more congested on top of the redeveloped Regent Park condos. The 505 now claws through there.

Noticed that Denzil Minnan-Wong and three others were conveniently absent. Also noticed that with the amendments, that Michael Ford (Ward 1) and Stephen Holyday (Ward 2) voted "NO", as usual. Wonder if they are pushing for cycling paths and lanes in their wards, or are ignoring the requests from their constituents.

 

[ear2ear]

I'm not trying to be anti-cycling but I have to say that the bike lanes on Dundas and River area made that area so much more congested on top of the redeveloped Regent Park condos. The 505 now claws through there.

I live here, and very much welcome the congestion compared to the speedway with optional red lights as it was before the bike lanes. I've had 4 close calls crossing at the light as a pedestrian. A neighbour was killed mid-afternoon two years ago. It was BAD.

However, that's not to say the whole situation can't be improved in a manner that prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. A lot of us have been vocal to the city about the issues and flaws that came with a temporary design, so I'm optimistic that they will be addressed now that the lanes will be made permanent. I don't know what the ideal solution would be, but it does seem ridiculous to me that the eastbound 505 is forced to wait behind drivers turning left onto the DVP.

 

[Admiral Beez]

it does seem ridiculous to me that the eastbound 505 is forced to wait behind drivers turning left onto the DVP.

The solution, now that the bike lanes are permanent is to remove that left turn onto the DVP from River, or delete the onramp entirely. While we're at it, delete the DVP on-ramp at Queen St. also, as left turns here also slow traffic and put pedestrians and WB cyclists at risk as cars race to make the turn.

The main DVP entry point should be an expanded on-ramp at Eastern, with the next being Bloor, Bayview and O'Connor. Southbound there is no DVP exit at either Dundas or Queen, so I don't see the need for the on-ramp.