Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Midtown Urbanist]

I drove over the Leaside bridge on Sunday and couldn’t understand why there was a traffic jam, until I realized they’d taken out a lane of traffic in both directions for separated bike lanes. And during those 40 mins not a single cyclist in either direction. We need separated bike lanes, but we need to do it better.

Those lanes have been there for nearly a decade and they did not replace a traffic lane, just the tiny spit of asphalt between the vehicular lane and sidewalk. The traffic you experienced were likely the Santa Clause Parade as mentioned.

I've biked on there in the summer and there were definitely people using it, and I am sure depending on the time of day, there would be plenty of food delivery drivers on those lanes. I do agree though that it is not a pleasant ride, as it is virtually unprotected and narrow lane with cars driving highway-like speeds from behind you, while also being quite exposed to the elements on a long bridge. Would not surprise me to hear that usage plummets during the colder months. This would be an area where we'd benefit from raising the cycling lane at-grade with the sidewalk.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Those lanes have been there for nearly a decade and they did not replace a traffic lane, just the tiny spit of asphalt between the vehicular lane and sidewalk. The traffic you experienced were likely the Santa Clause Parade as mentioned.

I've biked on there in the summer and there were definitely people using it, and I am sure depending on the time of day, there would be plenty of food delivery drivers on those lanes. I do agree though that it is not a pleasant ride, as it is virtually unprotected and narrow lane with cars driving highway-like speeds from behind you, while also being quite exposed to the elements on a long bridge. Would not surprise me to hear that usage plummets during the colder months. This would be an area where we'd benefit from raising the cycling lane at-grade with the sidewalk.

Leaside bridge is miles from Santa Clause Parade. And yes, they did recently remove lanes on the bridge:

Millwood Road Safety Improvements

Line marking & signal pole installation continues in the intersection of Pape Avenue, Donlands Avenue and Millwood Road. Bike lane installation is underway on Millwood Bridge. Please view Construction Details below for more information. The City of Toronto is underway with state-of-good-repair...

www.toronto.ca

The bridge went from 6 lanes to 4:

I admit at first glance the changes don't seem to be a major traffic impact given how over capacity the bridge is. There are some minor capacity decreases at the Leaside / Overlea intersection with the removal of one of the three southbound lanes on Leaside, but nothing major. I doubt the changes are a major contributor to congestion in the area.

That said - the 40 km/h speed limit on the bridge is rather ridiculous given it's configuration.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Leaside bridge is miles from Santa Clause Parade. And yes, they did recently remove lanes on the bridge:

Millwood Road Safety Improvements

Line marking & signal pole installation continues in the intersection of Pape Avenue, Donlands Avenue and Millwood Road. Bike lane installation is underway on Millwood Bridge. Please view Construction Details below for more information. The City of Toronto is underway with state-of-good-repair...

www.toronto.ca

The bridge went from 6 lanes to 4:

Excellent news, this concept seems so much safer for cyclists.

 

[Coolibop]

How about instead of anecdotes, we stick with empirically proven facts...including patience to wait and see the data analysis if indeed bikes lanes slow things down.

I am not advocating for/against the lanes, but when we make statements, we should show our receipts (which I assume the city already has projected data on traffic impacts here).

An equal statement of little value to discussion: I went across Leaside bridge this morning.. Less traffic than normal including the new lanes, and 4 cyclists, so therefore the lanes have reduced traffic because people are riding across.

 

[reinventingthewheel]

On Sunday I went to the Thorncliffe Costco during the Santa Claus parade. The primary cause of traffic here daily is the construction on Overlea.

As a minor factor, the DVP exits at Bloor and Don Mills were overflown with drivers making a long detour to downtown/midtown destinations (due to parade road closures near the Gardiner exits).

It’s absolutely appalling to lay blame on the loss of one out of six road lanes.

 

[kotsy]

Weren't those Millwood bridge bike lanes block off to cyclists a couple weeks back? I imagine they are still blocked off, which is why no cyclists were seen.

 

[PL1]

Weren't those Millwood bridge bike lanes block off to cyclists a couple weeks back? I imagine they are still blocked off, which is why no cyclists were seen.

They have not removed the pylons. Yet there is no reason they shouldn't be available. The Pylos are largely ignored as the lanes are behind barriers, and riding in traffic would not be good.

Agreed it's the construction on Overlea (reduction to one lane per direction) that is the driver of traffic on Millwood. Occasionally also cars queuing to turn onto Don Mills (and probably DVP) that can block off the left southbound lane, but that's usually near O'Connor

 

[leopetr]

What we need are separated lanes under the CP underpass on Millwood which will require widening the underpass. When I bought my place in East York a decade and a half ago, I would bike to the Home Depot with my bike trailer for home improvement supplies. That underpass was gnarly and it hasn't improved since. If the city can then connect the bridge lanes to Eglinton lanes by putting in lanes on Laird , it would have a huge network multiplier effect.

I also dream of bike lanes on Donlands from the bridge to Danforth, but that'll have to wait until we can toss the bums out at the provincial level.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Those lanes have been there for nearly a decade and they did not replace a traffic lane,

Either you’re misinformed or disingenuous here. I’m a big fan and user of the bike lanes, but we can’t just be knee jerk, unquestioning fanboys of every instance where a car lane has been removed for bikes. Sometimes the execution or planning is just shite, and we need to call it out when it is just as ardently as we cheer when a bike lane is a huge success.

 

[bearcat]

Either you’re misinformed or disingenuous here. I’m a big fan and user of the bike lanes, but we can’t just be knee jerk, unquestioning fanboys of every instance where a car lane has been removed for bikes. Sometimes the execution or planning is just shite, and we need to call it out when it is just as ardently as we cheer when a bike lane is a huge success.

I think judging these new bike lanes based on one single time you drove over the bridge and experienced some traffic is also knee jerk.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I think judging these new bike lanes based on one single time you drove over the bridge and experienced some traffic is also knee jerk.

It's based on multiple uses, including today, again gridlock, no bikes. Maybe once/if both of the bridge ends have curb separated bike lanes we will see more cyclists than drivers.

 

[nfitz]

It's based on multiple uses, including today, again gridlock, no bikes. Maybe once/if both of the bridge ends have curb separated bike lanes we will see more cyclists than drivers.

If bike lanes were the issue, we'd see less congestion at nearby crossings, such as Don Mills Road.

And yet congestion at Don Mills Road always seems much worse. I've used 3 sides of a square before to avoid it.

As it is right now, northbound on Don Mills Road is worse (I'm puzzled where the usual southbound at O'Connor traffic jam that's always there when I always commuted their in rush-hour earlier this year).

Hmm - Google maps says there's construction just on the south side of the bridge. Are they still building the bike lanes?

 

[Coolibop]

It's based on multiple uses, including today, again gridlock, no bikes. Maybe once/if both of the bridge ends have curb separated bike lanes we will see more cyclists than drivers.

What am i missing? It's 5:23PM on a Tuesday. Is it a particular time of day?

 

[Molybdenum]

View attachment 615164

What am i missing? It's 5:23PM on a Tuesday. Is it a particular time of day?

The traffic jam is because of the Overlea Boulevard construction for the Ontario Line. It has nothing to do with the bike lane changes on the bridge itself.

 

[nfitz]

The traffic jam is because of the Overlea Boulevard construction for the Ontario Line. It has nothing to do with the bike lane changes on the bridge itself.

That makes sense. When I used to commute sometimes on that bridge pre-bike lane, the only time I saw gridlock there was during construction in the Overlea/Millwood intersection.