Towered
Superstar
Well that's bizarre. Runnymede is in the middle of BWW - it doesn't make sense to randomly end the bike lanes there. They should continue on to Kipling at the very least.
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Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)
- Thread starter MetroMan
- Start date
Well that's bizarre. Runnymede is in the middle of BWW - it doesn't make sense to randomly end the bike lanes there. They should continue on to Kipling at the very least.
Towered
Superstar
A bunch of stuff got posted for the Meadoway end of June
The Meadoway – Community Powered Green Spaces - The Meadoway
themeadoway.ca
and here is the full EA in case you missed it
View attachment 256083
Heres the full alignment.
View attachment 256043
Here are the takeaways of the final decisions for alignments for the 3 main areas where trails are being improved/connections made
Section 3
View attachment 256044
Section 5
View attachment 256045
Section 6.
View attachment 256046
I really like the improvements to Section 3 they are proposing. I'd never expect them to propose a new bridge over the Stouffville GO/RT, I assumed we were stuck riding on-street forever for that section.
I'm really surprised they are proposing to build in the hydro corridor in Section 5 when the trail already exists along Ellesmere in that section. But I prefer it.
The only thing I don't like is Section 6. I don't understand why they have to veer so far south away from the 401. There are already cutouts in place for crossing Morningside and the on-ramp right beside the 401.
I think they want to route people through the Pan Am complex. I dunno, I wish they would give the option of people to go more directly across as well.
Heres also some visualization toolkits with lots of renderings
There should be a similar project for the other hydro corridors as well, such in Etobicoke for example.
robmausser
Senior Member
I think Finch should be next, in terms of this scope, as this is more about "connecting the existing trails" and beautifying whats already there.
There are some projects already underway to finish Finch, but they are half assed attempts. Marketing the Gatineau corridor like this has afforded more ambitious designs.
The only problem with Finch is that I think we should extend the York busway along it, and that doesnt really fit into the idea of a 'natural parkland'.
Etobicoke and Warden hydro corridors are starting at ground 0.
Warden is already on the books and it will be cool because it will connect Finch and Gatineau in the middle.
cyclo
New Member
I hope Warden is given priority... It would be nice to have a safe North South corridor for cyclists that takes you across the 401. I commute from downtown to North Scarborough (Warden / Steeles) and on my way home, I take Dundas > Greenwood > Danforth > Woodbine > O'Connor > Vic Park > Gatineau Hydro Corridor > Crockford > Lawrence > Howden > Laura Secord > Birchmount. Birchmount is the most stressful stretch of my commute because of the volume of vehicles travelling at relatively high speeds. It would be nice to avoid this stretch.
On the other hand, why not also just put a bike lane along Birchmount? Certain sections of Birchmount (Steeles - McNicol, Lawrence - Eglington, Birchmount - Danforth) already have dividers to slow down vehicles... It is a pity since these dividers could have been made into bike lanes. Note that Birchmount in Markham is a designated road for cyclists... It has bike lanes from 14th all the way to Highway 7.
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
The hydro corridor between Warden and Pharmacy will be used south of Hwy. 401. Cycle tracks will be along Warden north of Hwy 401. Crossing Hwy 401 will always be a challenge. There's no room on the Warden overpass for dedicated cycling lanes/tracks. If a new bridge were to be constructed, I would prefer a pedestrian / cycling bridge at Pharmacy. I would then have cycling lanes on Pharmacy rather than Warden.
Northern Light
Superstar
I agree that connection is a priority (Pharmacy over 401). Notwithstanding my strong backing of transit and active transportation this is one I'd like to see done with car lanes (just 1 each way) as well.
Victoria Park from Sheppard to York Mills is way too wide and still prone to gridlock.
If a small portion of that could be diverted, VP could get cycle tracks in lieu of some of the current travel lanes.
****
In terms of where cycle tracks go, If I could only have one set, I see the virtue in Pharmacy. But I have greater ambition.
I really think every major road, or at least a major road every 1km or so should provide for cycle tracks.
I mean really, we want people to bike safely from wherever they live or work, to wherever they live, work or shop.
To do that we can't really leave many roads out in the longer term.
I appreciate some prioritization must occur in the interim; but ultimately, we should have cycle tracks available ubiquitously.
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Northern Light
Superstar
Birchmount HAD a bike lane, that the previous councillor (Berardinetti) had removed.
It ran from Danforth'ish in the south to at least St. Clair in the north.
Removing it was a foolish waste of money.
So yes, it certainly should return.
Pharmacy is the easier of the two; less traffic impact.
So it should go first.
Voltz
Senior Member
The Conlins Road bridge over the 401 already has bike lanes on it, it would be the easiest way to cross the 401, Morningside is a busy street, Conlins us fairly quiet, access to the Pan Am centre is good as well
W. K. Lis
Superstar
A lot of suburban railway underpasses and overpasses in the 1950's and 1960's for arterial roads were built assuming that one day they would expanded from 2 traffic lanes in each direction to 3 traffic lanes. Many of the suburban arterial roadways have a wide right-of-way for just such a possibility. Some roads were widen however for motor vehicles, such as Dundas Street West in Etobicoke, west of Kipling Avenue.
The suburban right-of-ways have to room to install either a segregated bicycle lane or a light-rail right-of-way. Sometimes even both, like what they're doing with Finch Avenue West. Suburban arterial roads without a LRT right-of-way would have room to put in a segregated bike lane.
From link.
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robmausser
Senior Member
You misunderstand, but its ok, it seems that most people misunderstand me!
So I drew it on a map.
Still uses Conlins, but is much shorter and to the point
H4F33Z
Active Member
^^Here are some really good examples of that.
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And the idiots at planning will make dumb excuses like "there's no space," or "it's too challenging to do." They could easily make a grid of raised cycle tracks in the suburbs with the wide buffers. But no, that's too smart, so they won't do it.
And the idiots at planning will make dumb excuses like "there's no space," or "it's too challenging to do." They could easily make a grid of raised cycle tracks in the suburbs with the wide buffers. But no, that's too smart, so they won't do it.
Voltz
Senior Member
I see, I do like this, I would still have a path headed east from the Pan Am Centre, since it can be hard for the neighborhood to the east to access Pan Am and the schools to the area, it should have been built five years ago with the centre.
robmausser
Senior Member
Absolutely, I was advocating for both, to be clear.
robmausser
Senior Member
Dont get me started on this. There are TONS of areas in the suburbs where cycle tracks would be possible. York Mills and Ellesmere (which are really the same road) come to mind
Sometimes I think that bike planners prefer the on-street bike lanes because they specifically take away a lane of traffic for cars. I swear they are more about removing cars from the road than making cyclists safe.
robmausser
Senior Member
I understand the need to cross the 401 but I dont understand the desire to use Warden north of the 401, the abandoned hydro corridor continues after the 401 and seems like the perfect little corridor for a bike path.
I guess enbridge isnt cool about it.
Cycle tracks are well and good, and Id understand if there were serious points of interest along Warden, but its nice to get away from cars and traffic when making long commute style bikes.