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General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

I was wondering if those were recent right after I posted, but I know the Euclid location has been there for at least a year.

That was the only one west of Bathurst until the latest rearranging of the deck chairs. The closest Bixi location to me was at Bathurst and Lennox, two blocks away. It was moved to Queen West and as such, Bixi is now almost useless to me. (Not going to walk three blocks in the other direction to pick up a bike at Euclid and Bloor that may or may not be there or six blocks to the Annex).

As much as Bixi should be expanded to the east and west (and north, at least to Dupont/Davenport to start as it might be problematic keeping bikes stocked up on St. Clair), the density of existing stands in the downtown area also needs to improve. Montreal has a stand every block or two in the downtown core; a lot easier to find a bike or an empty space than it is here on a weekday.
 
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As much as Bixi should be expanded to the east and west (and north, at least to Dupont/Davenport to start as it might be problematic keeping bikes stocked up on St. Clair), the density of existing stands in the downtown area also needs to improve. Montreal has a stand every block or two in the downtown core; a lot easier to find a bike or an empty space than it is here on a weekday.

If TTC takes over Bixi the system may improve dramatically.

TTC capacity constraints for bus routes (motivators to buy buses) are usually within 3km of subway stations. It's possible that spending $20M on Bixi for thorough coverage around high-use subway stations could eliminate the need for a $100M bus order. Integration would be required to allow transfers from subway to Bixi and vice-versa.

Even if Bixi earned very little in revenue, it may be a valid business plan to reduce TTC expenses (capital and operations) giving them a net gain.
 
The Pan Am Path: Proposal Unveiled for an 80-Kilometre Multi-Use Trail

Read More: http://torontoist.com/2013/06/the-pan-am-path-proposal-unveiled-for-an-80-kilometre-multi-use-trail/


A group of local residents is proposing one major Pan Am legacy project: a multi-use trail that would link Toronto neighbourhoods, and connect up some currently fragmented trails into a continuous path throughout the city.

- A set of proposed legacy projects for the 2015 Pan Am Games has just been unveiled. Among those proposals: one for an 80-kilometre continuous multi-use trail that would run throughout the city, with hubs along the way to host art, local events, food carts, and just about anything else bordering communities can think of.

- “The Pan Am Path is a multi-use path that connects the city from Brampton, down along the Humber River, along to the waterfront, up the Lower Don, and then up to Scarborough through the hydro corridor,” explains James Gen Meers, one of the founders of Friends of the Pan Am Path, the non-profit that’s formed to champion this project. “It is a trail system that already kind of exists in the city of Toronto, but is missing certain pieces that are required to make it a non-stop continuous path, and that’s what the path is about: leveraging some of the political capital in time for the Pan Am Games to invest in the infrastructure required to make a continuous path.”

- Essentially, the idea is to use a small amount of money—the infrastructure costs and initial programming are estimated at $1.9 million—to create a much greater benefit by linking together a bunch of trails that, right now, come close to each other, but are not part of a single travel route. Of the 80-kilometre total, only 5–10 per cent would be new construction. It’s a small number, but filling in those blanks will remake the trails into an entirely new experience for the city, Friends of the Pan Am Path thinks.

.....




pan-am-path.jpg
 
The Pan Am Path: Proposal Unveiled for an 80-Kilometre Multi-Use Trail

Read More: http://torontoist.com/2013/06/the-pan-am-path-proposal-unveiled-for-an-80-kilometre-multi-use-trail/


A group of local residents is proposing one major Pan Am legacy project: a multi-use trail that would link Toronto neighbourhoods, and connect up some currently fragmented trails into a continuous path throughout the city.

- A set of proposed legacy projects for the 2015 Pan Am Games has just been unveiled. Among those proposals: one for an 80-kilometre continuous multi-use trail that would run throughout the city, with hubs along the way to host art, local events, food carts, and just about anything else bordering communities can think of.

- “The Pan Am Path is a multi-use path that connects the city from Brampton, down along the Humber River, along to the waterfront, up the Lower Don, and then up to Scarborough through the hydro corridor,” explains James Gen Meers, one of the founders of Friends of the Pan Am Path, the non-profit that’s formed to champion this project. “It is a trail system that already kind of exists in the city of Toronto, but is missing certain pieces that are required to make it a non-stop continuous path, and that’s what the path is about: leveraging some of the political capital in time for the Pan Am Games to invest in the infrastructure required to make a continuous path.”

- Essentially, the idea is to use a small amount of money—the infrastructure costs and initial programming are estimated at $1.9 million—to create a much greater benefit by linking together a bunch of trails that, right now, come close to each other, but are not part of a single travel route. Of the 80-kilometre total, only 5–10 per cent would be new construction. It’s a small number, but filling in those blanks will remake the trails into an entirely new experience for the city, Friends of the Pan Am Path thinks.

.....




pan-am-path.jpg

Other than the Martin Goodman Trail (downtown), will any other paths, trails, lanes be cleared of snow? When will bicycles be considered part of the transportation network, and not just recreational?
 
The Pan Am Path: Proposal Unveiled for an 80-Kilometre Multi-Use Trail


pan-am-path.jpg

That looks nice. Some parts really only need the connections to be formalized: the break in the Humber trail is quite short and just needs a continuation of the paved section, while the MGT is only temporarily (I hope) out of commission in connection with the reworking of QQW, and I think the Lower Don trail will connect to the Athletes' Village anyway, once the tunnel under the tracks is re-opened. Connecting the Don trail to the hydro corridor might be tricky, though, since the part where the Don and the railway pass under the DVP doesn't leave a lot of room.

But the fact that this would connect all the Pan Am sites is really quite clever. If the loop can be closed using the Finch corridor trail, even better. I just hope this idea doesn't get sidelined/iced due to endless studies and assessments.
 
Toronto, where the chair of the TTC, can get a $110 ticket for failing to stop (allegedly) at a stop sign.

See The Star article on Karen Stintz ticketed for allegedly running stop sign on bike at this link.

Be sure that you actually stop, not a rolling stop, at Duplex Ave. and Berwick Ave., near near Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave.. That's where Karen Stintz was stopped by the police.

Sorry, no video.
 
Richmond-Adelaide Cycle Track Study Including Wellington, Peter & Simcoe Street

Read More: http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/richmond-adelaide/


Following a November 2011 Council Decision, the City of Toronto is studying the potential for physically separated bicycle lanes (known as "cycle tracks") between Bathurst Street to Sherbourne Street using Richmond, Adelaide and or Wellington Street.

A north-south cycling connection between the existing Beverly Street bicycle lanes and the waterfront, using Peter or Simcoe Street, will also be studied.

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richmond-adelaide-study-area_600.jpg
 
That looks nice. Some parts really only need the connections to be formalized: the break in the Humber trail is quite short and just needs a continuation of the paved section, while the MGT is only temporarily (I hope) out of commission in connection with the reworking of QQW, and I think the Lower Don trail will connect to the Athletes' Village anyway, once the tunnel under the tracks is re-opened. Connecting the Don trail to the hydro corridor might be tricky, though, since the part where the Don and the railway pass under the DVP doesn't leave a lot of room.


The Don River - Gatineau trail connection is planned (in public consultation phase now), as is Phase I of the Weston/Humber trail connection (which will only extend the trail north to St. Phillips, not yet under the Weston Sub).

Connecting Gatineau to the Highland Creek trail would be amazing - along with the Don-Gatineau trail, it would provide an interim connection across the big gap in the Waterfront Trail through Scarborough.

I'd love to see the Don River Trail widened between Martin Goodman and the Highland Creek/Don Trail split (which is about where the new trail connection would feed in). It can get quite congested - probably because we simply don't have enough long-distance quality trails in this city.
 
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Good to hear about the Weston/Humber link and Don/Gatineau as well. I've been riding out into Scarborough in the past few months and while it hasn't been hugely inconvenient trying to get from, say, Sunnybrook over to the Gatineau, it's certainly felt like it should be easier.
 
Maybe Karen Stintz could be encouraged to introduction a Toronto version of the Idaho Stop. From Wikipedia:

The Idaho Vehicle Code allows for cyclists approaching a stop sign to slow to a "reasonable speed," but does not mandate a full stop unless "required for safety."

[video=youtube_share;84eB0N-LG6M]http://youtu.be/84eB0N-LG6M[/video]
 
Great video, thanks for posting. I think we should do that here. We're supposed to be progressive right? How can we let Americans be more progressive than us?
 
In the update in The Star, at this link, Karen Stintz's defense will be that:

the stop sign does not exist.

Looked up Duplex and Berwick on Google Maps, and on the street view it shows NO STOP SIGNS on Duplex Avenue. There is a stop sign on Berwick Avenue, but the street view shows the stop sign is obstructed by tree leaves. See this link. Can anyone get a current photo or photos of that intersection?
 
There's few places that a cyclist is going to get busted rolling through stop signs - Beverley Street and Duplex Avenue. It has nothing to do with their proximity to the police stations, heavens no.
 
As a young cyclist I was stopped on evening by police for rolling through a stop sign and failure to indicate my turn. The officer then noted that my vehicle lacked the legally required equipment (bell, lights). I got off with a warning, but from that day on I always tried my best to follow the rules and have my vehicle properly equipped.
 

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