Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Full Metal Junkie]

This is the first time I'm seeing this kind of trail signage. What happened to the orange signage used along parts of the Don River trails?

And then there is this signage along the Sunnyside stretch of the Martin Goodman trail:

Now, you'd be forgiven if you didn't know there is any sort of signage along Martin Goodman west of downtown. Personally, I ride the trail almost every day for almost a decade and I only realized there is signage about 2 weeks ago for the first time (and was surprised to learn that the speed limit is 20 km/h for some inexplicable reason). And once I realized there is signage, I managed to spot quite a few of those signs along the trail. And the reason it took me almost 10 years to notice the signs? This is how they are presented to cyclists as they zoom past:

You guys want for various departments to coordinate their signage? How about they begin coordinating signage and tree planting locations to start? And we go from there. Baby steps.

 

[dob467]

We are famous!
LA is installing "Toronto Barriers" on their bike lanes. From a post on Facebook.
View attachment 689610View attachment 689609

Is this what we're known for in the urban cycling world? I appreciate these barriers as a stop gap measure, but these can't be the permanent solution to building bike lanes.

 

[DSCToronto]

Is this what we're known for in the urban cycling world? I appreciate these barriers as a stop gap measure, but these can't be the permanent solution to building bike lanes.

In most cases they ARE interim and as streets are reconstructed the bike lanes get better and have more greenery. If one holds out for the 'perfect' immediately, one will end up with very little !

 

[rbt]

Is this what we're known for in the urban cycling world? I appreciate these barriers as a stop gap measure, but these can't be the permanent solution to building bike lanes.

Beats waiting 30+ years for the next roadway rebuild to come around.

Also, IMO, the shape makes them more effective than what Sherbourne is stuck with.

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

Is this what we're known for in the urban cycling world? I appreciate these barriers as a stop gap measure, but these can't be the permanent solution to building bike lanes.

That and the post and ring bike parking stands!

 

[NoahB]

Is this what we're known for in the urban cycling world? I appreciate these barriers as a stop gap measure, but these can't be the permanent solution to building bike lanes.

They are being installed in many places, including Seattle.
This article describes how the Toronto Barriers are different.

The “Toronto” barriers are shorter than highway-style Jersey barriers but significantly taller than a standard curb. They are fabricated in advance and have pass-through channels to allow water to drain.

From Seattle Bike Blog

The City also published the dimensions of their standard one too.

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

Fellow bike blogger Jun Nogami shared a few pictures from the Harbord Street upgrades. I'll show one of the current status west of Grace.

Harbord bike lane update

The Harbord bike lane upgrades are done from Queen’s Park Crescent to Grace. Here are a few pictures headed west. I’m not sure if these planters qualify as bioswales since I don’t…

jnyyz.wordpress.com

 

[Full Metal Junkie]

CycleToronto - the group that successfully put a pause on the dismantling of bike lanes by the Province - are organizing a bike ride / protest this evening to mark the one year anniversary of Bill 212:

 

[dob467]

Beats waiting 30+ years for the next roadway rebuild to come around.

Also, IMO, the shape makes them more effective than what Sherbourne is stuck with.

That and the post and ring bike parking stands!

Those post-and-ring bike racks I love! I also don't want the Sherbourne design where cars can so easily park in them. Ideally the University lanes should be the prototype, of course they can't be built everywhere. We'll have to see if those "Toronto" bike lanes show up elsewhere lol

 

[DSCToronto]

Those post-and-ring bike racks I love! I also don't want the Sherbourne design where cars can so easily park in them. Ideally the University lanes should be the prototype, of course they can't be built everywhere. We'll have to see if those "Toronto" bike lanes show up elsewhere lol

I was a member of the Construction Advisory Committee for the Sherbourne bike lanes a decade or so ago. Some of the bike lanes on Sherbourne/Lower Sherbourne are basically on the same level as the road, some are raised and there is a real curb. Ideally all would have been raised but the City only had $$ to do the raised ones where they were already reconstructing the road and/or moving catch basins. We supported creating a situation with a mixture so that it would be 'easy' to upgrade the level sections as opportunities arose and some have been improved since.

 

[pawlyshyn]

I was a member of the Construction Advisory Committee for the Sherbourne bike lanes a decade or so ago. Some of the bike lanes on Sherbourne/Lower Sherbourne are basically on the same level as the road, some are raised and there is a real curb. Ideally all would have been raised but the City only had $$ to do the raised ones where they were already reconstructing the road and/or moving catch basins. We supported creating a situation with a mixture so that it would be 'easy' to upgrade the level sections as opportunities arose and some have been improved since.

Well, we know now that even the raised-curb sections do not provide effective separation and safety, and are pretty much just an invitation to drivers to pull over there while they pick up their coffee/Uber passenger or make their delivery.

 

[DSCToronto]

Well, we know now that even the raised-curb sections do not provide effective separation and safety, and are pretty much just an invitation to drivers to pull over there while they pick up their coffee/Uber passenger or make their delivery.

We have all learned more since 2015 or so when the Sherbrooke (Yes, SHERBOURNE!!) lanes were installed.

 

[ADRM]

The answer is accessibility.

The concrete curbs were seen as an impediment not only to those w/mobility aids/challenges, but to those trying to load/unload strollers w/children.

For clarity, the City was responding to negative feedback in relation to the above.

I thought this was the answer, but I think they've just created one problem in trying to solve another -- the Harbord lanes are great with the exception of those sections; literally every time I've ridden them since they were opened, I have had to navigate one or multiple cars parked in the bike lane in those sections. At risk of sounding cute, in trying to solve an accessibility problem in a way that creates a condition that is more likely to produce more people who have accessibility issues because they got hit by a damn car.

Surely there is a compromise position that reduces the length of those unprotected sections to be the width of a standard vehicle, with a corresponding designation as an accessible loading zone, no?

 

[UntitledCyclist]

Beats waiting 30+ years for the next roadway rebuild to come around.

Also, IMO, the shape makes them more effective than what Sherbourne is stuck with.

Yes and they have the "advantage" of occasionally impaling a car that for whatever reason drives up and onto the barrier. Just high enough to get most cars stuck!

 

[DSCToronto]

Just home from a short ride to The Spit and can report that the Martin Goodman from Cherry Beach to the bridge on Unwin is (well) fenced off and they seem to already have removed all (or most) of the asphalt. Since nothing had been done when I was there last on Saturday they are working amazingly fast. At this rate it will be done before their planned mid-November. The alternative route is to cycle on Unwin - which is quite the mess!