Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[W. K. Lis]

They are doing some construction on Caledonia Road and the York Beltline Trail. Anyone have new images?

From link. Dated June 23, 2022.

At the time of writing this report, reports recommending that a crossing with a refuge island be provided where the York Beltline Trail meets Ronald Avenue, and that traffic control signals be provided where the York Beltline Trail meets Caledonia Road.

The York Beltline Trail terminates at Marlee Avenue. Today, people cycling must dismount or merge with traffic to travel north on Marlee Avenue and follow the signed wayfinding route along Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive. From there, they can continue east connecting with the Greenway east of Allen Road and to the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail.

The Cycling Network Plan Near-Term Implementation Program (2022-2024) includes a proposed dedicated bikeway on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive from Marlee Avenue to the Greenway and a multi-use trail along the Greenway from Elm Ridge Drive to Aldburn Road. Also to be studied as part of the Near-Term Implementation Program is a dedicated bikeway along Marlee Avenue, between Roselawn Avenue and Eglinton Avenue West, and a connection of the Greenway to Eglinton Avenue West. These projects, currently in the study phase, will provide safer cycling connections between the York Beltline and Kay Gardner Beltline Trails.

Transportation Services is considering improvements to crossings where the York Beltline Trail meets Caledonia Road and Ronald Avenue, and where the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail meets Old Park Road. At the time of writing this report, reports recommending that a crossing with a refuge island be provided where the York Beltline Trail meets Ronald Avenue, and that traffic control signals be provided where the York Beltline Trail meets Caledonia Road, will be considered by North York Community Council on June 28, 2022.

Transportation Services will be undertaking a preliminary review to consider the feasibility of a pedestrian cycling bridge over Allen Road to provide a direct connection between the York Beltline Trail and Kay Gardner Beltline Trail. It is expected that a report will be brought forward to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee at the end of 2023 on its findings.

 

[robmausser]

They are doing some construction on Caledonia Road and the York Beltline Trail. Anyone have new images?

From link. Dated June 23, 2022.

View attachment 498687


View attachment 498688

I just biked by it yesterday but didnt take a pic.

There are lights in place for crossing and curb cuts. The lights are covered in black tarps right now. I didnt see any signs of a central island thingy to cross.

Also I personally believe that the bridge for Aldburn road be closed to cars and turned into an extension of the trail to cross Allen Road.

The bridge in my view is completely pointless for car traffic. The road goes nowhere and there is Elm Ridge just down the street.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I just biked by it yesterday but didnt take a pic.

There are lights in place for crossing and curb cuts. The lights are covered in black tarps right now. I didnt see any signs of a central island thingy to cross.

Also I personally believe that the bridge for Aldburn road be closed to cars and turned into an extension of the trail to cross Allen Road.
View attachment 498697
The bridge in my view is completely pointless for car traffic. The road goes nowhere and there is Elm Ridge just down the street.

You don't even need to close it. Shift the vehicle lanes to the south side of the road and convert the excess space on the north side to a multi-use path.

 

[just east of the creek]

I was on the Lakeshore today through Port Credit and onto the Brightwater site. Not sure if the city has plans for the Lakeshore but currently there are NO provisions for cyclists, not even a sign or some paint. And more disappointing, through the Brightwater site, where the Lakeshore frontage is seeing a lot of work on sidewalks, there also appears to be no provision for separated bike lanes. I may be jumping the gun on the city, but perhaps no. And really, it’s an easy fix, just take out one side of the on street parking, and presto, plenty of room for separated bike lanes. I can park my chariot elsewhere and walk over to my appointment.

 

[just east of the creek]

May I also add that if you were the cyclist(s) on the Queensway this morning (Kipling area), man-o-man, you must have nerves of steel. Another area with no provisions for bikes, increasing residential, but certainly lacking public realm improvements ( such as bike lanes for instance ) . Maybe I am jumping the gun on the city but …..?

 

[Towered]

I also want to add that while I'm glad overall about this redesign, I feel that The Kingsway still unnecessarily veers too far to the west. Had they straightened it even more in an easterly direction (they had room to work with where the slip lane used to be), they could have freed up a significant amount of extra space that could have been directly attached to Humbertown Park, which could have allowed for additional programming of the enlarged park space. Opportunity wasted. Not sure why that wasn't obvious to the engineers when a layman like myself can easily spot it.

To illustrate my above points further:

Approaching from the east, the new cycle track recycles () most of the former slip lane, which wastes space:

Looking to the right at the intersection, we see a large patch of useless grass where the former slip lane curved into The Kingsway. This is the space I suggested should have been used to straighten out The Kingsway where it meets Dundas to free up more space on the opposite (west) side that could have expanded Humbertown Park, yet the new road configuration still curves for some mysterious reason, creating two orphaned pieces of grass on both sides of the road that can’t be used for anything:

You can see the new traffic lights being installed immediately to the west at Wimbleton Road:

The more I look at this redesign, the more frustrated I get that a few simple, seemingly obvious tweaks could have made it far more useful. Ugh.

 

[Towered]

As a follow up thought to this joke of a stub of cycle track that does not even remotely connect to any other cycling infrastructure, I wonder if there's any plan by the city to create bike lanes along Dundas at some point. They're badly needed, as someone who endures the torment on a daily basis as a commuter...

I was a tad hasty in stating that this overdesigned stub doesn't connect to anything - it does connect to existing (unofficial?) bike lanes (not separated cycle tracks) on The Kingsway towards Humbertown Plaza, from which one can easily access the bike lanes on Royal York, so they're not as utterly useless as they might seem at first. Still, cycle tracks all along Dundas should be implemented ASAP (I'd even settle for shitty standard bike lanes at this point since anything would be an improvement over the horrible status quo)...

 

[H4F33Z]

This stub two way cycle track will continue east on Dundas Street to meet up at the future rebuilt overpass at Scarlett by 2024/2025. This small stub is basically due to localized road/water main work, where the city is “capitalizing“ on oppurtunities to implement high quality pieces of infrastructure.

From what I‘ve heard, we should be seeing a lot more of this going forward. It’s really important that the city does go for every opportunity they can get.

 

[Obsidian]

I am ok with slow pace of chance and improving things piecemeal and tying them to other road works as long as it's consistent and gets better every year.
Things will be much better in 10 years and a little better next year. This is how Amsterdam did it.

 

[Northern Light]

This stub two way cycle track will continue east on Dundas Street to meet up at the future rebuilt overpass at Scarlett by 2024/2025.

Looking at the City's schedules, I see it penciled in for 2028 currently. (Bikeway/Cycle Track to Scarlett) But these dates do shuffle around regularly.

This small stub is basically due to localized road/water main work, where the city is “capitalizing“ on oppurtunities to implement high quality pieces of infrastructure.

From what I‘ve heard, we should be seeing a lot more of this going forward. It’s really important that the city does go for every opportunity they can get.

This was the idea, and that is the plan.

 

[DSC]

From @Towered photo:

What the hell is that concrete block to right of cycle track doing?? These things are not infrequent and appear to serve no purpose except create a trip or bike-crash opportunity.

 

[Northern Light]

From @Towered photo: View attachment 498944

What the hell is that concrete block to right of cycle track doing?? These things are not infrequent and appear to serve no purpose except create a trip or bike-crash opportunity.

Only a guess, but I would say, its there to discourage/prevent cars from encroaching on the bike path bump out, while leaving an opening for bikes in behind.

One could probably argue for something more vertical, but I imagine its kept low for sightlines.

If anyone has a better notion, do share. I can check with staff in the next while, but not today.

 

[DSC]

Only a guess, but I would say, its there to discourage/prevent cars from encroaching on the bike path bump out, while leaving an opening for bikes in behind.

One could probably argue for something more vertical, but I imagine its kept low for sightlines.

If anyone has a better notion, do share. I can check with staff in the next while, but not today.

Yes, that may be its purpose but I bet it causes FAR more accidents than it avoids.

 

[DSC]

See y'all there! Nice to see a neighbourhood assn and BIA welcoming and thanking the City Cycling folk!

 

[UntitledCyclist]

The meadowway has cut curbs across non-signalized crossings so in not so sure that would be the reason. An example:

View attachment 495886

Good point. I'm sure there are other examples. So maybe not a codified rule. Do you know how recent those cuts were? Things often seem to be shifting in terms of accessibility requirements and standard practices.