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New Bike Lanes on University, Bay, Spadina, and Other Roads

Most people like the most efficient way to get from point a to point b. It's no surprise that more people choose transit when the systems are well developed and the urban planning is focused on transit and pedestrian friendly development. Some people are misguided in thinking that it's just human nature to want to drive. It's a stupid myth propagated notably by expressway planners in the 1950s. It's human nature to want to get somewhere efficiently, or to achieve some other goal like health, taking in scenery, moving cargo, etc. There are thus different modes for different trips.
 
I guess he think those anthropomorphic creatures who live in Copenhagen and Holland aren't humans then
 
The first streets in the city was designed for people to walk on, and for horses, and sometimes buggies or carts. No asphalt, that's why it was called Muddy York. Sidewalks were put in, so that people could walk above the mud.

Streetcars came on the scene, using the middle of the road, which resulted in the widening the streets to accommodate the crowds. The bicycles had difficulty with the the mud, which required the streets to be paved.

Only then did the automobile came onto the streets and claimed the streets for themselves.

It is easy to forget that at one time something other than automobiles used the streets.
 
Tonight at Toronto City Council the pilot project for bike lanes on University Ave was scrapped in a 15-13 vote after councillor Paula Fletcher hit the wrong button on her voting device.

Several councillors vocally in favour of the project, including David Miller and Shelley Carroll, were not in attendance and did not vote. Carroll was in Montreal.

Democracy kind of sucks sometimes.
 
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Um, yeah but you're going to get bike lanes on the next major street over (Bay) so why complain? Some people tend to forget but University was formerly designated as Highway 11A.
 
Oops! Councillor’s mistake derails bike lanes on University Ave.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-bike-lanes-on-university-ave/article1567108/
Broad plan for new bicycle network passes but pilot project downtown is spiked
Anna Mehler Paperny
Toronto — Globe and Mail Update
Published on Wednesday, May. 12, 2010 11:52PM EDT
Last updated on Wednesday, May. 12, 2010 11:58PM EDT
A plan to establish separated bike lanes along University Avenue was defeated Wednesday night – after a councillor made a voting mistake.

In a vote to remove a proposed segregated-lane pilot project from the city’s larger bike network plan, councillor Paula Fletcher voted “yes” – by accident, she said, passing what would otherwise have been a tied (and defeated) amendment.

That means that a 12-week summertime pilot project that would have established the bike lanes on University Avenue was spiked.

“It’s extremely, extremely disappointing,” said Yvonne Bambrick, executive director of the Toronto Cyclists Union. “It was a forward-thinking pilot that connected three major east-west routes. ... We were so close to getting this passed.”

When the plan passed at the city’s public works committee last month, councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker said he was confident the pilot project would become permanent and be expanded across the city – it was a necessary step, he argued, in making cyclists safe.

Ms. Bambrick said she isn’t optimistic the proposal will come back to council after the October election: Multiple mayoral candidates, including councillor Rob Ford, who was at Wednesday’s vote, have opposed bike lanes in one form or another.

Rocco Rossi has said he supports a bike lane network on secondary streets, but not on such major arteries as University Avenue. George Smitherman has called for a pause on bike-lane development. Joe Pantalone supports them, and voted for the University Avenue pilot project.

Ms. Fletcher apologized for the error, which she and several other councillors tried unsuccessfully to correct by calling for a second vote. But changing a single vote that would have altered the outcome isn’t allowed.

“I feel very badly. ... I’ve been a very strong advocate of bike lanes,” she said, adding that she’s confident it will come back to council after the election.

“I’ve spoken to many councillors who’ve said we will commit to getting this on University Avenue in the new round of council.”

The bikeway network council, which ended up passing by a wide margin, will establish new bike lanes on several roads – including Bay Street, Lansdowne Avenue and Spadina Crescent – as well as new “bike boxes” on Bay Street near Lakeshore, which Ms. Bambrick said are necessary to protect cyclists at busy intersections.

The issue of University Avenue bike lanes didn’t generate the same amount of anger caused by proposed bike lanes on Jarvis Street last year. But the prospect of removing lanes of vehicle traffic and replacing them with bike lanes caused motorist consternation, especially in a city facing growing congestion problems.

Councillor Anthony Peruzza, who voted against the pilot project, said as an avid cyclist he supports physically separated bike lanes. Just not these ones.

“I support bicycle lanes and I support safety for cyclists,” he said. “They’ve turned this into a political hot potato.”
 
kettal said:
I agree with Anthony Peruzza
Click to expand...

I agree with you!

That must be a first!

P.S. on another note, Shelly carroll in Montreal eh? I wonder what she was there for?

I guess that bike lane wasn't as important as GAME 7 of a Hockey game.

Which is understandable.
 
FS:

Um, yeah but you're going to get bike lanes on the next major street over (Bay) so why complain? Some people tend to forget but University was formerly designated as Highway 11A.
Click to expand...

Since we're playing this what things were like in the good old days game, some people also seem to have forgotten what University Avenue was really like...

UniAve.jpg


Things change, deal with it.

AoD

PS: Just because something is called a highway doesn't equate to it being a high capacity route. Yonge Street is the original highway 11, as a matter of fact.
 
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^^^ Hey... That's pretty nice. I'd almost support a motion to turn University (back) into something like that. :)
 
Paula Fletcher: I hope you weren't the one who tried to sell the billion shares by mistake when it should have been a million, last week.

Pressing the wrong button is very f@^{ing of you to do that. Don't do that again next year, should it come up.

Opps! I didn't want to say that. Undo, undo, undo! Where's the undo key?
 
While I'm sympathetic to her general political views, Paula Fletcher, in my brief meeting with her and media clips from events and rallies comes off as a complete and utter div. She has clearly ridden the coat tails of the strong NDP establishment in the east end and has had little to show for it. I am not surprised in the slightest she would make a foul up like this.
 
Whether it was Paula Fletcher's id going against her more practiced intentions, or the finger of God intervening because this plan was just too stupid for even Him to countenance (Gulf destroying oil spill? That'll sort itself out; temporary 3 block bike lane down the centre of a major artery? Not on my watch!) the correct outcome was achieved.

This half-baked idea was definitely on track to become one of those "WTF were they thinking?" projects, destined to be equally derided and laughed about years down the road. And I love bike lanes.
 
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