Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[afransen]

I saw a lot of curb-protected bike lanes there on my recent visit. By no means perfect, but this seeems to be the stepping stone to proper bike infrastructure. Feels like we are a solid 30 years behind Netherlands. But they were in bad shape back then and are still making improvements now, so there is hope.

 

[TossYourJacket]

Ford, Holyday, and Minnan-Wong voted NO! No surprise there. Have to watch Pasternak and Thompson.

At this point I almost feel like Minnan-Wong genuinely enjoys endangering the lives of cyclists and/or pedestrians.

 

[NoahB]

Concrete dividers are now installed on Gerrard between Yonge and Bay. (and possibly further)

I will send photos tomorrow.

 

[cyclo]

They also have a lot of painted, unprotected bike lanes on high speed suburban arterials. Good in theory but in practice not a nice environment to bike. Hopefully that's changing.

Having painted bike lanes are much better than nothing in suburban arterial roads.

 

[MisterF]

Having painted bike lanes are much better than nothing in suburban arterial roads.

True but "better than nothing" is a pretty low bar. It's good to see protected bike lanes start to gain traction.

 

[ADRM]

Having painted bike lanes are much better than nothing in suburban arterial roads.

There's actually interesting research indicating that this is not the case; it shows that drivers tend to pass people on bikes more closely when they're passing them in an unprotected bike lanes than when they're passing them on streets on which there is no bike lane. Unscientifically, that research jives with my own experience.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Having painted bike lanes are much better than nothing in suburban arterial roads.

Strongly disagree. Especially if there were originally two standard width lanes for cars that have now been narrowed so that a bike lane could be "painted" in, leaving the curbside car lane now narrower. This brings those cars closer to the “bike lane“. Meanwhile, as long as the car driver doesn't enter the painted bike lane he can drive as close to the line as he wants. The line is the allowance for the cyclist now, not the 1 meter clearance cyclists are supposed to be given by cars.

Now that I think of it, I do this myself as I drive my car, if I see a cyclist on an unmarked road I'll move well to the left to give them miles of clearance. But if the cyclist is in a marked bike lane I assume the width of the lane gives them the clearance they need, so while I make sure to not cross the line demarking the bike lane, I don't move to the left to give the cyclist more space.

 

[WillTo]

When they paint a bike lane, do they not also make both driving lanes a bit narrower, meaning the driver on the lane closer to the curb can go a bit further to the left than if there was no bike lane at all?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Coming soon, to Scarborough, a bicycle highway ...

From Kennedy Station to McCowan. Using the old RT right-of-way. Those tunnels and elevated portions will be fun to ride on our bicycles. Can by used by cyclists to reach the Kennedy Station from or to their homes or businesses within cycling range. The powers-that-be had better build a bicycle garage like the kind they have in the Netherlands.

Maybe they should extend the bicycle highway to Sheppard Avenue?

 

[NoahB]

Sorry for the image dump. But here you go.
So the concrete dividers seem to be only installed on Gerrard between Bay and Yonge. East of Yonge there are white columns only on the north side. West of that block - there does not seem to be any protection.
On Gerrard between Yonge-Bay on the north side: there are concrete barriers running the full extent of the block but with many breaks for driveways.
On Gerrard between Yonge-Bay on the south side: there are concrete barriers running for a small portion of the street on each end of the block as there is a long taxi/dropoff area in front of the Chelsea Hotel entrance.
The concrete dividers were all installed today it seems.

 

[NoahB]

Two more - looking west on Gerrard, north side

 

[Northern Light]

Photos from:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1341827058058575873

New concrete curbs on Bloor from Yonge to Sherbourne

 

[Northern Light]

New protections on Harbord too!

Photo from:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1341789365744353280

 

[Undead]

^I'm curious: would those curbs stop a car from going into the cycling lane if it hit them at, say, 40 km/h?

 

[afransen]

No, they would roll right over them. They're only about 4" high. But the driver would sure feel them and would not casually drive over them without risking significant damage to their vehicle (wheels, suspension).