Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[nfitz]

Can you please link to the draft legislation, or indicate that you've read it.

Because so far as I can discern the legislation text is not yet public, so assertions as to its exact wording seem premature.

I'd think the legislation would simply allow them to make regulations. Which we won't see until a while after the bill passes.

 

[nfitz]

So no restrictions at simply pedestranizing Yonge Street?

 

[Northern Light]

I'd think the legislation would simply allow them to make regulations. Which we won't see until a while after the bill passes.

Entirely possible.

Of course, regulations, if not in the legislation, have to be passed by cabinet and then gazetted, and in this case, might even be subject to the Environmental Registry, which could delay the effective date of any bill considerably.

 

[Northern Light]

Warning: Sense of humour required: ( I liked this one enough to bring it over)

 

[nfitz]

Of course, regulations, if not in the legislation, have to be passed by cabinet and then gazetted, and in this case, might even be subject to the Environmental Registry, which could delay the effective date of any bill considerably.

I very much doubt they'll make them subject to the Environmental Registry. The rest can be done in an afternoon.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I must imagine that in the eyes of the current crowd running this plan, a lane that is parking 22 hours/day but live traffic at rush hour counts as a traffic lane and not a parking lane.

Of course it does. That lane is a traffic lane when it is most needed as one.

 

[Northern Light]

I very much doubt they'll make them subject to the Environmental Registry.

TBD

The rest can be done in an afternoon.

Cabinet does not meet every day.

Gazettes are issued roughly weekly.

However, regulation is rarely same-day active or retroactive, there is usually a lag.

 

[MisterF]

Easy on. The patient isn’t dead, just on hold until the OPCs are out.

And maybe we shouldn’t have provoked Doug by slowing his capital city’s vehicular traffic with bike lanes. A different path would have been to consult and partner with the Ministry of Transport to get bike lanes that can withstand Queens Park’s scrutiny. Think of the cities that have the very best bike infrastructure, like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. These weren’t designed and implemented in isolation without provincial/regional government involvement.

Saying we shouldn't have provoked Doug Ford is like telling a woman she shouldn't have provoked her abusive husband. Given the premier's grievance-based governance and archaic views on transportation, it was only a matter of time before he lashed out at bike lanes.

With rare exceptions, those are SUV driving cities with little interest in bike lanes. Does anyone commute to work on a bicycle in North Bay?

All of those cities are building cycling infrastructure to varying extents, including the ones in Northern Ontario. Even cycle tracks and protected intersections are starting to make their way to smaller cities like Kingston, Sudbury and London. Road diets are quite common in small cities too.

 

[afransen]

That's the question; keeping in mind, that in most of those cases (streetcar routes), the curb lanes are parking free for 2-3 hours per day, when they are vehicle travel lanes.

So we'll need to see if the law addresses that.

In terms of how such lanes are described currently, they are described, legally, as travel lanes with parking permitted.

Not as parking lanes with travel permitted.

Though they are parking lanes, roughly ~ 94% of the week.

Can't you just do a two step: pass a bylaw making it permanent parking lanes, then another bylaw making converting the parking lanes to bike lanes?

 

[Northern Light]

Can't you just do a two step: pass a bylaw making it permanent parking lanes, then another bylaw making converting the parking lanes to bike lanes?

We don't know that that will be feasible, because we haven't see the legislation; but yes, in theory, that sounds entirely plausible.

 

[generalcanada]

So I went to the bloor bike lane meeting today....It was....entertaining to say the least

When youre booing the fire chief because you dont like the facts he is giving you look absolutely psycotic

 

[smably]

Can't you just do a two step: pass a bylaw making it permanent parking lanes, then another bylaw making converting the parking lanes to bike lanes?

Anything's possible, but Doug will definitely notice if cities start doing this, and he absolutely would seek revenge in the pettiest possible way. Maybe he'll introduce follow-up legislation that bans bike lanes altogether, or maybe he'll just start denying provincial funding, cancelling infrastructure projects, and generally making everyone's lives miserable. I don't think loopholes are going to work here. Municipalities are creatures of the province and really they're powerless to do anything the province says they can't do.

 

[afransen]

Anything's possible, but Doug will definitely notice if cities start doing this, and he absolutely would seek revenge in the pettiest possible way. Maybe he'll introduce follow-up legislation that bans bike lanes altogether, or maybe he'll just start denying provincial funding, cancelling infrastructure projects, and generally making everyone's lives miserable. I don't think loopholes are going to work here. Municipalities are creatures of the province and really they're powerless to do anything the province says they can't do.

Doug won't be around forever. They probably have one more full-term mandate in them. They will have been in power for a decade at the end of their next term if they seek re-election next year. They probably know this, and want to lock in this next term before PP poisons the well for Conservatives.

 

[Obsidian]

Any estimation of what percent or length of the 25-27 cycle plan does not require a lane removed for traffic.
I am going to assume any that will require a lane of traffic removed will not be built.

 

[crs1026]

So I went to the bloor bike lane meeting today....It was....entertaining to say the least

When youre booing the fire chief because you dont like the facts he is giving you look absolutely psycotic

I was impressed with the factual and professional tone set by the City officials - gave me a lot more confidence that the buteaucracy is actually committed to complete streets and is trying to get there.

The delusional part was how speakers felt theu needed to park exactly in front of whatever store or restaurant they were going to, without a walk. Compare that to the walk from the parking lot at Sherway Gardens !

The issue for Central Etobicoke is that the loss of shopping plazas and streetfront Commercial (Stonegate, Humbertown, Six Points, Cloverdale,) and services (Bloor Medical building) is forcing people into cars to make longer and more frequent trips just to buy groceries and access services.

- Paul