Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[UserNameToronto]

I hadn't appreciated that there was now physical protection of some sort on Gerrard -- last I'd seen them (which was a few weeks ago), they were still naked. Across what stretch is there now physical protection?

This has been litigated on this thread before, but the lanes are also on the wrong side of the parked cars, for my desire.

Interesting you note Bay, though, as to me, it's one of the single worst route for cyclists in the city. That'd be somewhat mitigated, though, if the new Yonge St. design miraculously manages to produce physically-protected cycle infrastructure.

The best separation is south of Allen Gardens, from Sherbourne to Church.

Bay is OK for a commuter, because the outermost lanes are bus/taxi only during rush hour. These lanes are very wide, and north of Dundas there is actually a bike lane incorporated as well. Not my favorite cycle route, but it's better than many other downtown roads.

 

[LNahid2000]

Bay is OK for a commuter, because the outermost lanes are bus/taxi only during rush hour. These lanes are very wide, and north of Dundas there is actually a bike lane incorporated as well. Not my favorite cycle route, but it's better than many other downtown roads.

Does anyone actually follow this rule? I use Bay everyday and I've never encountered a time when there wasn't general traffic in the right lane. And the bike lane between Dundas and College almost always has cars parked in it.

I must agree that this week has been pretty good for cycling though. I've been using bike share a lot to get around downtown this week. It's pretty cold, but I'd rather be biking in the cold than waiting for the TTC in the cold.

 

[ADRM]

Does anyone actually follow this rule? I use Bay everyday and I've never encountered a time when there wasn't general traffic in the right lane. And the bike lane between Dundas and College almost always has cars parked in it.

I must agree that this week has been pretty good for cycling though. I've been using bike share a lot to get around downtown this week. It's pretty cold, but I'd rather be biking in the cold than waiting for the TTC in the cold.

Yep, your latter point is the perfect representation of why the "all physical cycle safety infrastructure should be removed for the winter months" argument is plainly obtuse.

 

[Napalm Frog]

Does anyone actually follow this rule? I use Bay everyday and I've never encountered a time when there wasn't general traffic in the right lane. And the bike lane between Dundas and College almost always has cars parked in it.

I must agree that this week has been pretty good for cycling though. I've been using bike share a lot to get around downtown this week. It's pretty cold, but I'd rather be biking in the cold than waiting for the TTC in the cold.

I go southbound on Bay once, maybe twice a week year round from Davenport to Elm. I usually don't find it too bad. The lanes are wide enough that there's tons of room to pass safely on the left. However, I find Yorkville area has the most impatient drivers (I usually ride 30kmph+, but here I'll max out at 25kmph). The worst spot for drivers stopping when they shouldn't be is mostly cabbies picking up from those office buildings at SW Bay & Wellesley (I think). Always at least 2 vehicles stopped there.

 

[mdrejhon]

From an Urban Toronto feature:
[...]
Compared to many other cities, Toronto's bike-sharing infrastructure and technology is relatively inefficient and expensive for both the city and the user, notwithstanding the number of bicycles and stations. Yet, to find an example of a more successful and popular system, we need not stoke our 'second-city' envy by looking to New York or Paris for inspiration. A surprisingly efficient and successful system can be found in a smaller city in our own region; Hamilton, Ontario.

Though Hamilton's SoBi system only launched a few months ago (March 20th), it already boasts more users (5,200 active as of early 2015) than Toronto's system, thanks in large part to its greater convenience and ease of use, together with lower maintenance costs, which pass savings along to the consumer. While Toronto's system features low-tech bicycles and high-tech parking stations, each of Hamilton's city bikes has its own GPS tracker and payment interface, meaning that using a bike does not involve paying at a central terminal. This seemingly small difference has several important benefits.

Firstly, the "unlock code" sent to a user's phone allows for a bike to be quickly rented, avoiding potential lineups at a separate terminal. Secondly, since each bike features its own GPS system and payment interface, the bicycles can be dropped off and picked up anywhere in the city centre, not just SoBi stations. This means that parked bikes can be found scattered throughout the city, with the GPS directing each user to the vehicle nearest to them. The location of bikes naturally gravitates to where demand is greatest, while the inbuilt GPS system forms an effective theft-protection measure.
[...]
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/07/hamiltons-bikeshare-success-provides-lessons-toronto

That's a much more user-friendly model for many. I'd certainly be far more willing to try a Sobi. In fact I just might next visit to Hamilton and Dundas. Here's some more background on why the Sobi machine and model are considerably advanced: (I accessed the latest report I could find on this system to see whether 'docking at a station' is now required or not. Evidently not, which continues to make this far more flexible. Comment from Rejohn welcome. (Your posts appear in a number of articles on Sobi)

https://www.raisethehammer.org/article/3056/hamilton_lucked_out_with_bike-share

Be sure to read the comments.

A sister article to above makes a profound point in a reader comment: (the math is arguable, although appears legit)

https://www.raisethehammer.org/article/2906/hamilton_bike_share_used_for_commuting

Serious food for thought for the hungry...

Regarding SoBi Hamilton, the info is accurate, but one of your original article links on Hamilton needs clarification:

Your Hamilton SoBi unlock code is permanent, like a password code. You are sent by email and smartphone when you first sign up, then you don't ever need to use the phone again. You don't even need to own a smartphone either to use SoBi, except to more easily find bikes, especially where others have parked them offdock.

Yes, I am members of both Hamilton and Toronto, and yes, I prefer SoBi for convenience.

 

[UpperAvenue]

Does anyone know what cycling infrastructure projects were completed in 2016?

This was a list of the potential 2016 bike lanes posted back in 2015, http://torontoist.com/2015/09/mapping-torontos-potential-new-2016-bike-lanes/ - Of these, I only know that the Bloor bike lanes were installed.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I just wish TO BikeShare memberships cheaper and available for less than a year.

I signed up for an annual membership when they had their 50% off with Presto promo (so it came to just over $50), so it was a no brainer considering I liked to use it a few times during the summer. The best thing with the membership is that you just stick your card in the dock slot and wait for it to unlock, no use of the terminal necessary. It makes it really convenient.

Since then, it's surprising how many times I have used it so far without planning on it, just because I have my card in my wallet at all times. I've used it to get around TTC subway shutdowns, hop between two destinations, just enjoy a ride on a trail, or use it as a substitute for taking the TTC and saving a couple bucks (I don't have a pass). I even hopped on one a couple weeks ago while I was out Christmas shopping, I never imagined myself riding in the winter but the roads were clear and it wasn't too cold.

I agree it's not for everyone, but I gotta tell you, just trying it out really makes the difference. I hope they consider bringing back monthly or multi-month passes, I could see more people giving it a shot, and having a similar surprise as to how beneficial it can be.

 

[steveintoronto]

Your Hamilton SoBi unlock code is permanent, like a password code. You are sent by email and smartphone when you first sign up, then you don't ever need to use the phone again. You don't even need to own a smartphone either to use SoBi, except to more easily find bikes, especially where others have parked them offdock.

This is how a number of other later models are done, and with much lighter bikes. I'm still astounded as to how heavy those things are, and how high the centre of gravity is. Three speeds can work, depending on how they space them and the overall ratio.

I almost bought a second bike last week, but Flu intervened. I'm preferential to an internal hub (3 spd or more) as when the chain becomes fouled, shifting can still be done at a standstill. I'm vacillating still on buying...what I expect from my main machine is so ingrained in my reflexes that I'd have to un-program my movements so that I don't go down or scrape past cars.

What I am going to buy are some of those strap-on cleats for walking on ice, dog parks, especially the one at High Park, have been sheer sheets of ice. I always thought they were nerdy, but cracking your skull on the ice is even more nerdy. Happened to somebody there last week, Toronto Parks finally realized the brilliant concept of throwing sand on the hills and *some* (but very few) walkways.

 

[Zach6668]

I just wish TO BikeShare memberships cheaper and available for less than a year.

For real? When I first got it, I tracked how many trips I made that I also would have made on transit (so not counting short trips I would have walked, or not made at all), and the full price annual membership paid for itself in un-used TTC tokens within less than 2 months. It's a steal of a deal. I'm essentially free-rolling the membership for the other 10 months of the year.

 

[LNahid2000]

This is how a number of other later models are done, and with much lighter bikes. I'm still astounded as to how heavy those things are, and how high the centre of gravity is. Three speeds can work, depending on how they space them and the overall ratio.

I find the bikes work really well. They're much slower than my own bike, but I find it inconvenient to carry around a helmet when using bike share, and so forcing me to go a little slower is actually a good thing. I remember reading an article a while ago about how there hasn't been a single death on a U.S. Bike Share system (most of those systems use the same Made in Canada bikes as in Toronto), and I think a lot of that has to do with the design of the bike.

Edited to add the article I was referencing: http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/not-single-american-has-died-using-bike-share-why-not.html

 

[ADRM]

Does anyone know what cycling infrastructure projects were completed in 2016?

This was a list of the potential 2016 bike lanes posted back in 2015, http://torontoist.com/2015/09/mapping-torontos-potential-new-2016-bike-lanes/ - Of these, I only know that the Bloor bike lanes were installed.

The dirty, hidden secret with the ten year network plan is that every project is subject to council approval. And this council obviously isn't fussed with citizens dying.

There's no reliable tracker of completed projects; the city has a portal for it but it's not consistently updated.

Off the top of my head, though I'm sure I'll miss some, also completed in 2016:
> The Bayview trail to the Brickworks
> Unprotected painted bike lanes were added on a small stretch of Gerrard
> A very small stretch of Peter saw bollard-protected bike lanes

 

[ADRM]

I find the bikes work really well. They're much slower than my own bike, but I find it inconvenient to carry around a helmet when using bike share, and so forcing me to go a little slower is actually a good thing. I remember reading an article a while ago about how there hasn't been a single death on a U.S. Bike Share system (most of those systems use the same Made in Canada bikes as in Toronto), and I think a lot of that has to do with the design of the bike.

Totally agree -- I actually feel safer on the bike share bikes than I do on my own.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

For real? When I first got it, I tracked how many trips I made that I also would have made on transit (so not counting short trips I would have walked, or not made at all), and the full price annual membership paid for itself in un-used TTC tokens within less than 2 months. It's a steal of a deal. I'm essentially free-rolling the membership for the other 10 months of the year.

I'm sure it would work out, but the key is convincing people to get on board. IMO, $90 + tax for an entire year is a bit of a psychological barrier for some. But a 4-month (summer) pass for $25? I'm sure lots of people would at least try it, and some would stay.

 

[mdrejhon]

Not everyone realizes it's essentially "$90 for unlimited 30-minute bike rentals, all year long" and you can use any bike stations to reset your rental timer, for longer rides, or intermediate stops in your journey, etc. Cut that price to $45 and it's indeed a steal.

 

[PinkLucy]

And isn't it less with a Presto card?