Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[SFO-YYZ]

A few updated pics of Montreal's REV (cycling express network), this one on St. Denis. The work is 90% completed meaning one can bike from North to South island of Montreal without leaving a unified REV network. These are extra-wide bike lanes (approximately 2.5 m on each side of the street which allows faster cyclists to bypass slower ones, and leaves a lot of shoulder room between cyclists and cars). On side note, the city of MTL created a new fund of $1.5 million in order to compensate merchants along St. Denis affected by the construction work - I don't know how effective this is given that some of the merchants are plain anti-bike no matter how much you compensate them

Another part of the REV network is the reconstruction of downtown MTL's Peel Street. This one is undergoing a complete makeover, with fully separate/raised cycle lane on each side of the street:

 

[Admiral Beez]

You need and should report this to Becky Katz, becky.katz@toronto.ca. But also let KWT - the local city councillor know. Thank you very much.

Thanks Andy. I have just now emailed both Becky and KWT with the pic and request. It’s a simple fix, just extend the curb another two or three sections.

 

[Andy_in_Toronto]

You might think it is a simple fix. Red tap and bureaucracy can make this a nightmare. Like fire trucks need a wider turn radius, etc. You might get a funny response or they actually will implement it quickly. Overall Becky is doing a good job and much better as we had before!

 

[Admiral Beez]

You might think it is a simple fix. Red tap and bureaucracy can make this a nightmare. Like fire trucks need a wider turn radius, etc. You might get a funny response or they actually will implement it quickly. Overall Becky is doing a good job and much better as we had before!

I’m tempted to walk down and put some cones there myself. Who owns this city, the people or the bureaucracy?

 

[PinkLucy]

You wouldn't be the first to do something like that.

 

[Admiral Beez]

You might think it is a simple fix. Red tap and bureaucracy can make this a nightmare. Like fire trucks need a wider turn radius, etc. You might get a funny response or they actually will implement it quickly. Overall Becky is doing a good job and much better as we had before!

Here’s the appreciably fast response. It’s a fair point about the bus access, but they should move the TTC stop to across River. I thought the city was moving away from TTC stops at intersections to having them after the intersection?

“Thank you for sending along your comments below. The NE corner is a streetcar stop, which when there are streetcar diversions must also serve buses. Due to accessibility needs, buses must be able to get reach the curb to drop off transit riders who are in wheelchairs or need to utilize the bus's accessible ramp. The bike lane was marked with a double solid line to indicate that people driving should not enter this space. I will ask my team to evaluate if additional enhanced markings would help improve/clarify roles.

In Fall 2021, the Dundas Street bikeways will be evaluated by Council if they should remain, remain with changes or be removed. If they are recommended and approved to be permanent, we would consider the installation of a raised streetcar/bike lane platform, which would eliminate the situation. For now, the bikeways are temporary installations and we continue monitor and receive feedback on the installation.

Thank you for flagging this issue.”

 

[W. K. Lis]

Here’s the appreciably fast response. It’s a fair point about the bus access, but they should move the TTC stop to across River. I thought the city was moving away from TTC stops at intersections to having them after the intersection?

The terms used are "near-side" and "far-side". See link.

 

[Northern Light]

Here’s the appreciably fast response. It’s a fair point about the bus access, but they should move the TTC stop to across River. I thought the city was moving away from TTC stops at intersections to having them after the intersection?

That right there is why many of us quite like Becky Katz.

She herself is a passionate cyclist, and very responsive.

 

[H4F33Z]

Forgot to post: Shuter Street is redone. The road was probably the worst to bike simply because of the road conditions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1313609548012417025

Willowdale south of Finch is getting curbs!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1313969632089452547

 

[Undead]

Do the Willowdale lanes mean we're less likely to get the Reimagining Yonge lanes?

 

[Admiral Beez]

The terms used are "near-side" and "far-side". See link.

Thanks. And in this case it’s not possible because of the condo construction on the far side. So, I guess River and Dundas is as good as it gets.

 

[ADRM]

Here’s the appreciably fast response. It’s a fair point about the bus access, but they should move the TTC stop to across River. I thought the city was moving away from TTC stops at intersections to having them after the intersection?

This is kind of a bullshit response, though (or at least points to an inconsistency), because fully all of the ActiveTO bike lanes are, at this point, temporary, yet this hasn't prevented the City from installing raised platforms on the University bike lanes.

And this bit especially irks me: "The bike lane was marked with a double solid line to indicate that people driving should not enter this space. I will ask my team to evaluate if additional enhanced markings would help improve/clarify roles." How many people have to die or have their lives permanently altered for both the Cycling and Transportation units to understand that drivers do not give a shit about markings? You have to physically prevent people from doing dumb, dangerous stuff -- whether it's wilfully malicious or an unfortunate mistake -- in a car or else lots of people will continue to do it. It takes about 15 minutes riding a bike or walking around sidewalks and crosswalks in Toronto to understand this if you don't have your head up your own ass.

Sick and tired of the incompetence and lack of vision.

 

[Admiral Beez]

This is kind of a bullshit response, though (or at least points to an inconsistency), because fully all of the ActiveTO bike lanes are, at this point, temporary, yet this hasn't prevented the City from installing raised platforms on the University bike lanes.

And this bit especially irks me: "The bike lane was marked with a double solid line to indicate that people driving should not enter this space. I will ask my team to evaluate if additional enhanced markings would help improve/clarify roles." How many people have to die or have their lives permanently altered for both the Cycling and Transportation units to understand that drivers do not give a shit about markings? You have to physically prevent people from doing dumb, dangerous stuff -- whether it's wilfully malicious or an unfortunate mistake -- in a car or else lots of people will continue to do it. It takes about 15 minutes riding a bike or walking around sidewalks and crosswalks in Toronto to understand this if you don't have your head up your own ass.

Sick and tired of the incompetence and lack of vision.

Here's my reply....

Thanks Becky,

I appreciate your reply and information. If the condo wasn't being constructed on the far side of Dundas I would suggest moving the bus stop there.

As a longtime 30-years cyclist in Toronto my recommendation for bike lanes is simple.... paint alone should never denote the separation of car and bicycle. As a cyclist I already know my place, it's as close to the curb as I can safely operate from. As an automobile user I know to give one meter clearance to the cyclist, though many drivers ignore this, paint or no paint. A painted lane might give a cyclist a false sense of security, leading them to venture further from the curb, whilst the automobile operator can ignore the one meter rule since their only requirement is to not cross the painted line.

I wish we had provincial or municipal standards as to what defines a bike lane, same as we presumably have for sidewalks, railway crossings and roads, and it should never just be paint. Keep up the expansion of separated cycling lanes in the city, I especially like the Danforth and University Ave. separated lanes.

Thank you.

 

[Andy_in_Toronto]

Absolutely, for this issue at hand a raised temporary platforms is the answer. It is not difficult to install and Obviously much needed. I was even surprised how fast and quick this was done on Universit Avenue!

 

[ADRM]

Absolutely, for this issue at hand a raised temporary platforms is the answer. It is not difficult to install and Obviously much needed. I was even surprised how fast and quick this was done on Universit Avenue!

Yes, exactly, me too, though it simultaneously infuriates me, insofar as it revealed that City Staff have basically been gaslighting the public and councillors for years (not that we really needed confirmation).