Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[H4F33Z]

most arterial road lanes in Toronto have already been narrowed. There aren't a whole lot of streets left with excessive road lanes, and in most cases the space savings are not enough for cycle lanes as it results in only a few centimetres saved!

Excessive lane widths is more of a problem in the 905, which generally has a long way to go on that front.

I agree that it should generally be done on the few arterials that haven't yet had their lanes narrowed, though. A quick look at Ellesmere Road through it's 6-lane section shows it could potentially be modified to 3.2m lanes and have enough space left over for protected bike lanes on both sides, for example.

Thanks, I will now make a proposal to the city and councillor for bike lanes on Ellesmere Road. Many proposals and ideas I've had were just not politically justifiable. This one I've just measured and it has the width to keep all existing lanes! Ellesmere will be restriped for bus lanes next year anyway.

 

[Therion]

I'm in favour of properly enforcing the 50 km/h limit instead of dropping it to 40 km/h. I live on a 30 km/h, but otherwise unrestricted street in East York, and people drive like fucking maniacs here. The speed limit does nothing to make the street safer. More photo radar would probably help, or speed bumps or something, but the speed limit change did nothing.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I'm in favour of properly enforcing the 50 km/h limit instead of dropping it to 40 km/h. I live on a 30 km/h, but otherwise unrestricted street in East York, and people drive like fucking maniacs here. The speed limit does nothing to make the street safer. More photo radar would probably help, or speed bumps or something, but the speed limit change did nothing.

They need to change the configuration of the roads and lanes.

 

[Northern Light]

I'm in favour of properly enforcing the 50 km/h limit instead of dropping it to 40 km/h. I live on a 30 km/h, but otherwise unrestricted street in East York, and people drive like fucking maniacs here. The speed limit does nothing to make the street safer. More photo radar would probably help, or speed bumps or something, but the speed limit change did nothing.

@W. K. Lis has it right above. Design change is the most important thing; followed, quite distantly, by enforcement.

Speed humps, much like Stop Signs, aren't great solutions in most cases, they can actually be harmful, not only in terms of directly causing accidents/injuries but indirectly by making drivers angry with stop/start drives, instead of slow, smooth ones.

Road narrowing is a top design feature; followed by putting 'curves' back into the road where practical, or simulating same through chicanes/bump outs.

If the road design naturally makes you worried about hitting something, then you tend to drive more cautiously. If it reads as a straight runway, you drive accordingly.

 

[Northern Light]

For those who might be interested............. ahem @reaperexpress

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER

t.co

 

[reaperexpress]

For those who might be interested............. ahem @reaperexpress

View attachment 435513

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER

t.co

Thanks for the heads up. I'll send in an application

 

[MisterF]

As much as politicians and police love enforcement blitzes, research is showing that police enforcement doesn't actually improve safety.
STUDY: Police Stops Don’t Stop Car Crashes

 

[nfitz]

As much as politicians and police love enforcement blitzes, research is showing that police enforcement doesn't actually improve safety.

It is done to reduce accidents? I thought the point was that the lower the speed, the less that pedestrians, cyclists, and those inside building on the ground floor suffer as severe injuries.

 

[W. K. Lis]

It is done to reduce accidents? I thought the point was that the lower the speed, the less that pedestrians, cyclists, and those inside building on the ground floor suffer as severe injuries.

They did an enforcement blitz when school restarted in September. Expect another enforcement blitz during Hallowe'en evening. Then it back to...

 

[Nadnev]

I think Toronto could benefit from using Chicanes on our streets to help with traffic calming. The benefits are numerous - including more green space.
https://www.sfbetterstreets.org/fin...ic-calming/traffic-calming-overview/chicanes/

 

[W. K. Lis]

Has Toronto ever considered using chicane's on our streets to help with traffic calming? They're very successful in other countries.
https://www.sfbetterstreets.org/fin...ic-calming/traffic-calming-overview/chicanes/

Based on how Toronto seems to go with the cheapest, expect paint to be used as chicanes. Likely one colour, white.

From link.

 

[Undead]

Yeah, my area has chicanes and I ignore them completely because they're just paint.

 

[afransen]

Some flex posts would help. Most drivers care about their paint.

 

[TRONto]

Some flex posts would help. Most drivers care about their paint.

FWIW I saw a bunch of drivers purposely going over the flex posts on Friday. That and this morning I watched 4 cars blaze through an all way stop.

 

[W. K. Lis]

FWIW I saw a bunch of drivers purposely going over the flex posts on Friday. That and this morning I watched 4 cars blaze through an all way stop.

There are Vision Zero & cycling elements available, but the city powers-that-be refuse to implement them because they didn't think of it first. They have to study it for years and years before choosing the cheapest and easiest to do.