Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Admiral Beez]

That's a huge jump in logic, assuming the equipment was unpermited. The construction, if I remember, was for the new upgraded westbound bike lane!

We don’t allow construction firms to cut sewer lines or water mains. Why are they allowed to cut bike lanes? The city should mandate that bike lanes and sidewalks must never be cut off by construction. If you need to block space to facilitate construction, then you must install temporary yet still separated bike lanes and sidewalks. Block the car lanes if necessary.

 

[DSC]

I had hoped that The Esplanade bike track would be upgraded this year when the current watermain and sewer project is completed but Cycling just told me:

"Regarding the bike track work on The Esplanade, the quick build cycle track east of Lower Sherbourne will be restored following the completion of the watermain construction.

In phase 3 of the project, which is planned for 2025 – 2026, the City will be upgrading the bikeways from west of George Street to Berkeley Street to more seamlessly integrate with the streetscape. This work will be done in conjunction with the David Crombie Park Revitalization. SEE: https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...structure-projects/the-esplanade-mill-street/ " This work includes:

• Raising the bikeway to sidewalk level
• Raised pedestrian and bicycle crossings of local streets
• Intersection upgrades at Lower Jarvis Street and Lower Sherbourne Street.

 

[slicecom]

That’s a huge bummer. Do you know if they’re still planning on extending the painted bike lanes from Jarvis to Yonge this year?

 

[Northern Light]

We don’t allow construction firms to cut sewer lines or water mains. Why are they allowed to cut bike lanes?

In this case at least, the construction company did NOT have permission to block the bike lane in any way, they did so without any permit or authorization.

****

Following up to that, Councillor Saxe, the area Councillor is calling for the laying of criminal charges against the construction company of criminal negligence causing death.

From:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/councillor-criminal-charges-cyclist-death-construction-bin-bike-lane-1.7277378

Also, the bin is associated with construction work at 150 Bloor W, not the cycle track/road work the other side of Avenue.

 

[DSC]

In this case at least, the construction company did NOT have permission to block the bike lane in any way, they did so without any permit or authorization.

****

Following up to that, Councillor Saxe, the area Councillor is calling for the laying of criminal charges against the construction company of criminal negligence causing death.

From:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/councillor-criminal-charges-cyclist-death-construction-bin-bike-lane-1.7277378

Also, the bin is associated with construction work at 150 Bloor W, not the cycle track/road work the other side of Avenue.

Can Parking Enforcement Officers issue tickets to 'objects' like bins that do not have licence plates? If not, do they call MLS or ??? to 'do something' through the by-law process.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

Kanchan does a good job explaining why we have interim solutions; which don't satisfy everybody:

View attachment 582989

I'm unconvinced by these bullets. This design isn't in keeping with the original design for physically protected lanes here.

Drainage? The curbs can be spaced out to reduce that issue.

Mx permissions? If placing precast curbs is "heavy work" can the city not get that permission? There are lots of barriers under rail bridges. Someone got permission!

The issues around EMS access are to me likely the main culprit. This is a city choice, and maybe more to do with optics than reality of EMS impacts. Those vehicles can get over the low curbs without much trouble.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

I don't think we're re going to win this battle in the public consciousness. People generally want to dress for their destination, without needing to change/shower, and without sitting in sweat-damp clothing for hours. All the power to sports cyclists, but maybe we don't all want to live the way you live.

I said I was done here, but I don't assume anyone "wants to live the way I live." Personally, I bring a change a clothing if it's hot out. Or I survive with a bit of sweat. The majority of workers do not wear suit and tie to the job anymore, and as I mentioned before, workplace showers should be more common, where it's a major concern that no one in the office can be a bit sweaty in the summertime. I am not forcing anyone to ride to work, or work in damp clothes or do anything else – just trying to normalize active and other modes of transit and reduce the barriers to people who might want to make that shift. That is a winnable battle.

 

[Northern Light]

I'm unconvinced by these bullets. This design isn't in keeping with the original design for physically protected lanes here.

Temporary vs permanent, we've been over this. This is the interim condition, more will be done at a future date.

Drainage? The curbs can be spaced out to reduce that issue.

Huh? Show me the design you have in mind. I don't know what options were examined, but we have barriers that let water underneath, the challenge in an underpass such as this is that there is a solid barrier in the middle which does not allow water underneath, that raising the cycle track would preclude drainage without moving the catch basins, that water naturally flows down hill, the location of existing catch basins matter, etc etc.

Its not that it can't be done, its that its a big deal in time, and money to do it all now.

Mx permissions? If placing precast curbs is "heavy work" can the city not get that permission? There are lots of barriers under rail bridges. Someone got permission!

The issues around EMS access are to me likely the main culprit. This is a city choice, and maybe more to do with optics than reality of EMS impacts. Those vehicles can get over the low curbs without much trouble.

The point wasn't that its impossible to obtain permission to make more substantive alterations, the point was that it sucks up time, measured in years.

On one project they took over 4 years to grant approval. The choice here is this for now.........or wait several years. Mx also has the habit of trying to get others to pay for work they want to do and stacking up costs.

 

[DSC]

That’s a huge bummer. Do you know if they’re still planning on extending the painted bike lanes from Jarvis to Yonge this year?

The City website lined to call this Phase 2 and it is supposedly going ahead THIS year but I did hear that the work will follow the opening of the new North Market as that will change the arrangements on The Esplanade/Market/ See

Phase 2 and 2b​

Starting in April 2024, the City will be installing Phase 2 which includes a bikeway from west of George Street to west of Scott Street. The work in Phase 2b is bundled with watermain replacement and sanitary sewer replacement occurring on the street.

The Construction Notice seems to reinforce the fact that the George to Scott section will get done this year but..

BIKEWAY CONSTRUCTION AND PAVEMENT MARKINGS The Esplanade West of Scott Street to George Street South

 

[UntitledCyclist]

This appears to have occurred outside the cycle track (bike lane)

View attachment 583230

That makes this no less tragic, but I think its premature to presume there was a design issue w/the infra that led to this.

The cyclist was forced to leave the lane, by accounts, due to an obstruction that was in part made possible by a non-protected lane.

I have had concerns about and reported that stretch of westbound Bloor to Avenue sevearl years ago. The protected lanes end and the lane becomes sharrows-only until the intersection: about 100-150m or so. The unprotected lane sees many more vehicles stopping to unload, check their phones, pick up passengers, or do deliveries than it would if it had barriers. It's still illegal to stop there, but the design tacitly encourages this behaviour with no physical separation.

I wrote to then councillor Layton about it in 2022 and he agreed it was a problem. From cycling staff I was (informally) told that it was not possible to have barriers there because it would interfere with the wetbound cars turning right onto Avenue Road. Nothing changed since then and the bin was just the latest culprit blocking the lane.

 

[Northern Light]

The cyclist was forced to leave the lane, by accounts, due to an obstruction that was in part made possible by a non-protected lane.

Yes, these are the facts.

I have had concerns about and reported that stretch of westbound Bloor to Avenue sevearl years ago. The protected lanes end and the lane becomes sharrows-only until the intersection: about 100-150m or so. The unprotected lane sees many more vehicles stopping to unload, check their phones, pick up passengers, or do deliveries than it would if it had barriers. It's still illegal to stop there, but the design tacitly encourages this behaviour with no physical separation.

I wrote to then councillor Layton about it in 2022 and he agreed it was a problem. From cycling staff I was (informally) told that it was not possible to have barriers there because it would interfere with the wetbound cars turning right onto Avenue Road. Nothing changed since then and the bin was just the latest culprit blocking the lane.

This is also correct, as the current road space is laid out.

Lets look at an aerial photo:

The cycle track here is 'shared' with a dedicated right-turn lane. That lane is ~3.9M wide. The minimum standard for a vehicle lane is 3M, typically a curb lane is a bit wider.

But lets go w/3M, that leaves a dedicated cycle track, including buffer 0.9M Which is obviously not workable. A bare minimum cycle track is about 1.6M wide, excluding buffer where any separation would go, for which you generally need at least another 0.4M, and more would be preferable.

So the only way to get a separated cycle track here, at the intersection would be to either remove a car lane (the dedicated right lane, presumably) or to narrow the sidewalk. The sidewalk here being quite busy, I don't think that's really on.

Can we cut the dedicated right lane? Physically, obviously yes, the question is what would the impact to traffic flow on Bloor be? My honest answer is that I don't know, as I don't have the traffic count data for that lane. But staff will have that number, and presumably the feeling was that it would have too high an impact to remove it, the last time it was looked at.

This section is coming up for enhancement shortly, and new counts should be done, and may have been already.

*****

I'm happy to support at least considering removing the right lane........though we really need the data to understand the impact.

I suspect if one removed the right lane, that a right turn restriction would be required here, though I don't know that.

*****

There are some things to look at as the enhancement plan goes forward. The reduced capacity on Avenue Road (from the forthcoming cycle tracks on Avenue Road) may mean a reduced demand for that turning movement.

The uptick in cycling along Bloor the last few years may also mean fewer cars making that turn. Its certainly worth a look.

Other considerations:

Simply reducing the size of the right-hand turn lane by one vehicle length (so adding about 4M of separated cycle track).

Consider the use of green coating over the entire shared lane section to make it more obvious that stopping/loading is not permitted.

Depending on volumes, it may also make more sense to remove the left turn lane (which would also allow for a physically separated cycle track) but that would definitely require a left-turn prohibition.

****

That discussion is worth having, and the design work should be underway for it soon/now.

I absolutely support making this safer. Ideally, with full separation, but if not, then at least better than existing.

 

[TwinHuey]

July 26.

Mill Street west of Cherry.

 

[bearcat]

Yes, these are the facts.



This is also correct, as the current road space is laid out.

Lets look at an aerial photo:

View attachment 583844

The cycle track here is 'shared' with a dedicated right-turn lane. That lane is ~3.9M wide. The minimum standard for a vehicle lane is 3M, typically a curb lane is a bit wider.

But lets go w/3M, that leaves a dedicated cycle track, including buffer 0.9M Which is obviously not workable. A bare minimum cycle track is about 1.6M wide, excluding buffer where any separation would go, for which you generally need at least another 0.4M, and more would be preferable.

So the only way to get a separated cycle track here, at the intersection would be to either remove a car lane (the dedicated right lane, presumably) or to narrow the sidewalk. The sidewalk here being quite busy, I don't think that's really on.

Can we cut the dedicated right lane? Physically, obviously yes, the question is what would the impact to traffic flow on Bloor be? My honest answer is that I don't know, as I don't have the traffic count data for that lane. But staff will have that number, and presumably the feeling was that it would have to high an impact to remove it, the last time it was looked at.

This section is coming up for enhancement shortly, and new counts should be done, and may have been already.

*****

I'm happy to support at least considering removing the right lane........though we really need the data to understand the impact.

I suspect if one removed the right lane, that a right turn restriction would be required here, though I don't know that.

*****

There are some things to look at as the enhancement plan goes forward. The reduced capacity on Avenue Road (from the forthcoming cycle tracks on Avenue Road) may mean a reduced demand for that turning movement.

The uptick in cycling along Bloor the last few years may also mean fewer cars making that turn. Its certainly worth a look.

Other considerations:

Simply reducing the size of the right-hand turn lane by one vehicle length (so adding about 4M of separated cycle track).

Consider the use of green coating over the entire shared lane section to make it more obvious that stopping/loading is not permitted.

Depending on volumes, it may also make more sense to remove the left turn lane (which would also allow for a physically separated cycle track) but that would definitely require a left-turn prohibition.

****

That discussion is worth having, and the design work should be underway for it soon/now.

I absolutely support making this safer. Ideally, with full separation, but if not, then at least better than existing.

I am wondering why the city couldn't do exactly the same configuration as they did on the West side of the intersection. There Bloor used to be 5 car lanes wide, and they converted it into 4 car lanes plus two bike lanes 0.5 car lanes wide. Not ideal, but seems to work okay.

West Side Current* Configuration (* I am not sure if this has changed with the construction on Bloor West of here)

West Side Past Configuration

Here on the East side of Bloor they also had 5 lanes, but converted into 4 car lanes plus a bike lane that is 1 car lane wide in one direction and no bike lane in the other. Is there a reason they couldn't do the same configuration as on the West side?

Ideally a car turn lane should be removed here, but if it can't, I think the eastbound bike lane can be narrowed and lose its buffering at the intersection with the four car lanes shifted South, if that allows to fit in a westbound bike lane.

 

[Northern Light]

I am wondering why the city couldn't do exactly the same configuration as they did on the West side of the intersection. There Bloor used to be 5 car lanes wide, and they converted it into 4 car lanes plus two bike lanes 0.5 car lanes wide. Not ideal, but seems to work okay.

West Side Current* Configuration (* I am not sure if this has changed with the construction on Bloor West of here)
View attachment 583869

Here on the East side of Bloor they also had 5 lanes, but converted into 4 car lanes plus a bike lane that is 1 car lane wide in one direction and no bike lane in the other. Is there a reason they couldn't do the same configuration as on the West side?

Ideally a car turn lane should be removed here, but it it can't, I think the eastbound bike lane can be narrowed and lose its buffering at the intersection if that allows to fit in a westbound bike lane.

I want to be clear that I am not speaking for City staff here, just myself........

Giving your suggestion a once over......I think its feasible.

The free and clear EB bike lane on Bloor at Avenue road appears to be ~2.4M with a 1M buffer. If you pinch 0.5M off that, you can get a 1.4M bike lane on the north side, and if you went down to a 0.6M buffer....there should be room for a small buffer on the north side as well. *

* that's very back of the envelope and any errors in measurement may affect what's possible

But I would point out that it does not provide physical separation at the Avenue Road intersection. So it would be an improvement, in adding a painted line, and possibly green surface treatment, but it wouldn't physically prevent a car (or refuse bin) from blocking the bike lane.

Certainly though, its worth considering.

Measuring of Sat. Photos is inexact, but i would note that on the west side there, it appears as though the WB bike lane is of substandard width, and the EB car lane appears to also be sub 3M, but that may not actually be the case.

Any which way, its a very tight squeeze, and physical separation (barrier) can't occur without removing one of the vehicle lanes.


****

I just checked, the enhancement to the Cycle Tracks on the east side of Avenue Road (on Bloor) is currently programmed for 2027. I can't say for sure when design would start, but it could be as soon as next year, and should not be later than 2026.

IF you have suggestions, now is the time to be sharing them with staff and/or Councillor Saxe.

 

[turbanplanner]

We don’t allow construction firms to cut sewer lines or water mains. Why are they allowed to cut bike lanes? The city should mandate that bike lanes and sidewalks must never be cut off by construction. If you need to block space to facilitate construction, then you must install temporary yet still separated bike lanes and sidewalks. Block the car lanes if necessary.

Would we be ok if a bin was put on a side street?