2018 Municipal Election: Toronto Council Races

[christiesplits]

My boyfriend lives in the Beaches and is pretty active in the community.

Many of the 'granola crunchers' in the Beaches and Upper Beaches have perished and been replaced with accountants with Audi SUVs. The Beaches south of Kingston Road has one of the highest levels of car ownership in the old city limits, likely due to the terrible transit connections, but also, I suspect, due to a suburban sensibility that emanates through much of the community, in spite of its urban bones.

While Riverdale and High Park have made similar sociodemographic shifts, I feel like the transformation is the most stark in The Beaches.

Out of all the candidates, it looks like candidate Josh Makuch has the most 'hard line' view of the bike lanes:
http://www.votejosh.ca/woodbine_bike_lanes

 

[WislaHD]

My boyfriend lives in the Beaches and is pretty active in the community.

There are howls for blood because of these bike lanes. I was pretty surprised given the quinoa and granola crowd there.

The Beaches are basically a nouveau-riche (thanks to housing prices) streetcar suburb that likes to think they are Rosedale or Forest Hill, but are not. So I am not that surprised.

 

[WislaHD]

Out of all the candidates, it looks like candidate Josh Makuch has the most 'hard line' view:
http://www.votejosh.ca/woodbine_bike_lanes

What do we make of these claims:

"
I am pro-bike lanes. Full stop.

Three key concerns keep coming up about the Woodbine bike lanes:

1. Traffic is being diverted from Woodbine onto side streets, creating a dangerous environment for children.
2. They're not being used extensively.
3. The design creates confusion, idling congestion, and red tape for drivers and people who live along Woodbine and neighbouring roads.

"
Seems to me number 2 is false, since we have reports that they are being well used as it turns out. I can see it growing as Bixi Bikeshare expands more along Woodbine.

Concern 1 sounds like a genuine concern. Living on Eglinton where there is constant Crosstown construction, I can attest that the side streets are being ran rampant by aggressive drivers who are looking to bypass intersections on Eglinton. I have nearly been ran over walking my dog a number of times on these side streets and it does create an environment dangerous for children. The girl who died in Leaside two years ago is still very much in the memory in the local community.

But, I am slightly sceptical of the claim that traffic is being diverted as a direct consequence of a bike lane.....

 

[ShonTron]

He's also endorsed by Mary Margaret McMahon, which concerns me given her centre-right voting record.

3M was a reliable centrist

Many of the 'granola crunchers' in the Beaches and Upper Beaches have perished and been replaced with accountants with Audi SUVs. The Beaches south of Kingston Road has one of the highest levels of car ownership in the old city limits, likely due to the terrible transit connections, but also, I suspect, due to a suburban sensibility that emanates through much of the community, in spite of its urban bones.

While Riverdale and High Park have made similar sociodemographic shifts, I feel like the transformation is the most stark in The Beaches.

Out of all the candidates, it looks like candidate Josh Makuch has the most 'hard line' view of the bike lanes:
http://www.votejosh.ca/woodbine_bike_lanes

Northern Rosedale/Moore Park and the Beaches are the two neighbourhoods where the car still clearly beats transit for getting downtown, even in rush hour. Relatively few traffic headaches (Mount Pleasant/Bayview Extension or Lake Shore/Eastern Avenue) and relatively poor connections to the subway, or reliant on long trips on slow surface routes.

The Beaches could really do with a more frequent, single-fare express TTC bus.

 

[King of Kensington]

Many of the 'granola crunchers' in the Beaches and Upper Beaches have perished and been replaced with accountants with Audi SUVs. The Beaches south of Kingston Road has one of the highest levels of car ownership in the old city limits, likely due to the terrible transit connections, but also, I suspect, due to a suburban sensibility that emanates through much of the community, in spite of its urban bones.

While Riverdale and High Park have made similar sociodemographic shifts, I feel like the transformation is the most stark in The Beaches.

Out of all the candidates, it looks like candidate Josh Makuch has the most 'hard line' view of the bike lanes:
http://www.votejosh.ca/woodbine_bike_lanes

The Beaches feels more culturally like North Toronto than the Annex at this point. (One can offer the rejoinder that "but the Beaches voted NDP in the last provincial election" but so did St. Paul's).

 

[bobbob911]

What do we make of these claims:

"
I am pro-bike lanes. Full stop.

Three key concerns keep coming up about the Woodbine bike lanes:

1. Traffic is being diverted from Woodbine onto side streets, creating a dangerous environment for children.
2. They're not being used extensively.
3. The design creates confusion, idling congestion, and red tape for drivers and people who live along Woodbine and neighbouring roads.

"
Seems to me number 2 is false, since we have reports that they are being well used as it turns out. I can see it growing as Bixi Bikeshare expands more along Woodbine.

What is "well-used"? Right now ~200 users/day. Is that well used? I'm not sure. What I can say is that I drive on Woodbine often, and I do find the lanes are really really badly implemented. They zig zag all over the place, sometimes there are parking spots to the right of the lane, sometimes not. Its terrible.

At the same time, I'm also very skeptical that any traffic actually diverts from Woodbine to side streets because of them. I think it would still be easier/faster to drive on Woodbine, or switch to another major artery (Coxwell or Main).

 

[SunriseChampion]

The Beaches are basically a nouveau-riche (thanks to housing prices) streetcar suburb that likes to think they are Rosedale or Forest Hill, but are not.

They do?! Poor things.

 

[SunriseChampion]

As a driver, I don't see anything wrong or confusing (lol!) about the Woodbine bike lanes. If they confuse anyone then that person shouldn't be driving, I don't mind saying. Easily confused? Your mental faculties are not well enough for you to be hurtling around in a tonne of metal.

Also, what do you mean they don't have an easy way to get downtown from the Beaches? Bus to Main Street Station, 7 minute train ride. That's how I get there. What, you think I hate myself enough to get on the Queen streetcar all the way there from here? Neither do they, clearly.

 

[EagleEye]

As a driver, I don't see anything wrong or confusing (lol!) about the Woodbine bike lanes. If they confuse anyone then that person shouldn't be driving, I don't mind saying. Easily confused? Your mental faculties are not well enough for you to be hurtling around in a tonne of metal.

Also, what do you mean they don't have an easy way to get downtown from the Beaches? Bus to Main Street Station, 7 minute train ride. That's how I get there. What, you think I hate myself enough to get on the Queen streetcar all the way there from here? Neither do they, clearly.

If you're new to them they are confusing because going northbound, it's bike lane, parked cars, moving cars. I try to avoid Woodbine these days but the first time I went northbound I was behind a parked car, thinking it was just traffic. After about ten seconds of not moving I had a feeling it wasn't stopped traffic at all and I haven't made that mistake again.

The lack of usage on those bike lanes is really evident. I hardly ever see anyone cycling on them and that's in summer.

You also have to keep in mind, not everyone works downtown by a subway station. Once you get a bit east of Union you're looking at a walk and it isn't always easy if you're carring a laptop and other heavy things, as well as possibly being dressed up.

 

[SunriseChampion]

If you're new to them they are confusing because going northbound, it's bike lane, parked cars, moving cars. I try to avoid Woodbine these days but the first time I went northbound I was behind a parked car, thinking it was just traffic. After about ten seconds of not moving I had a feeling it wasn't stopped traffic at all and I haven't made that mistake again.

No comment.

I got stuck behind one of you people about a month ago.

The lack of usage on those bike lanes is really evident. I hardly ever see anyone cycling on them and that's in summer.

Yeah, this has been my experience as well. Have seen one person using them. This, of course, doesn't mean much. I'm not driving up and down the piece all day.

You also have to keep in mind, not everyone works downtown by a subway station. Once you get a bit east of Union you're looking at a walk and it isn't always easy if you're carring a laptop and other heavy things, as well as possibly being dressed up.

Wait, what? Being dressed up precludes one from walking? Hahaha. ....

No, I know, I just didn't understand why people were on about transit connections to downtown when there's a quite amazing one available.

 

[zang]

Relatively few traffic headaches (Mount Pleasant/Bayview Extension or Lake Shore/Eastern Avenue) and relatively poor connections to the subway, or reliant on long trips on slow surface routes.

I live very close to where Mt. Pleasant merges onto Jarvis. Cars treat the street like a highway (so much so I call it the Rosedale Parkway), and I’ve nearly been hit by reckless drivers ignoring traffic and crosswalk lights. Of course, there are a lot of jaywalkers in this area because it takes no less than 4 separate crosswalks and 5+ minutes for people to cross from the Rogers building to Rooster Coffee across the street. Despite no less than three schools in the vicinity of Jarvis and Wellesley, cars are still moving at a good 70km through that stretch. Just south of Charles, the west side Jarvis sidewalk narrows down to less than six feet wide, right in an area where water drainage is absolutely terrible. I rush my daughter through this area during the winter so we don’t get splashed, but it’s rare that doesn’t happen.

I for one, would be quite happy if the mount pleasant crowd got better transit. Or y’know, bothered to take the Mt. Pleasant express bus into the core.

 

[WislaHD]

I for one, would be quite happy if the mount pleasant crowd got better transit. Or y’know, bothered to take the Mt. Pleasant express bus into the core.

Have you seen the scheduling? The price?

Why would anyone take it. If I wanted to walk from my home to Mt Pleasant to take the express bus, there is a very good chance I could miss it one day, and won't have any other alternative but to walk towards Yonge.

 

[zang]

Have you seen the scheduling? The price?

Why would anyone take it. If I wanted to walk from my home to Mt Pleasant to take the express bus, there is a very good chance I could miss it one day, and won't have any other alternative but to walk towards Yonge.

Which is why I said I’d be happy if they got better transit. But there *is* fast transit, that many could use, if they wanted to (and if Jarvis *wasn’t* maintained as a freeway into the core for a phalanx of arrogant BMW/Audi/Mercedes drivers).

 

[Amare]

Similarly since Justin di Dunpar says he is not running we may see the dreadful Grimes romping home - if the OPP do not get to him first.

I'm pleasantly surprised that 1/2 of the shady Etobicoke councilors is calling it quits. Good riddance to him, and hopefully the OPP escorts him out of office on his last day.

As for Grimes, unfortunately he's virtually a shoe-in at this point. It's been a long 15 years with this guy, and I can only imagine what the next 4 years will bring. I'm sure his first act will be to start cooking up some salacious scandals with First Capital and the critical Mondelez lands.

 

[christiesplits]

Gary Crawford vs. Michelle Holland in Scarborough Southwest will be another incumbent battle.

Interestingly, in 2018, Holland, a card-carrying Liberal, voted more in line with Tory than Crawford, a former PC candidate. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...0GJvihIe1pZ-nGQh-0b0pw8Fw/edit#gid=1961564533