General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

[steveintoronto]

I don't understand what they're doing that has this trail closed for so incredibly long. It sounds like it will be gravel come fall and not repaved until December 2017!

Agreed, but let's flip that over. *Knowing* that it would be closed so long surely puts an onus or imperative on their supplying a by-pass under the bridge? I looked at what they're doing there, it would not be difficult, especially with water levels so low in the rivers right now.

I'd head off cycling there now, save that the thought of fighting cars to survive turns me off. On that note, did a big circle trip yesterday, being back in Toronto after being away for over half a decade means it's like viewing a new city in ways. Did across the lower city (avoided the Waterfront path, far too many psycho cyclists), up the Don (laughed as I went through the construction zone, I was prepared to divert, but as another poster stated, it's been liberated once again (fence and gates knocked down)(at least they have detour notice on the Queen Bridge now over Don River), across to the Brick Works, (man, that's changed...) up the Belt Line, *still* one of the nicest and most natural bike routes, it's gorgeous, ) went to west end of trail, at Castlefield, down to Egg, and then something I've never done before, I just couldn't/wouldn't face being on-road...down through Prospect Cemetery. Take your time and be respectful though, it is a resting place. And be sure to say hello to a lot of the folks visiting there, they're in a sensitive state, kind words mean a lot to them. St Clair is no fun, but went up Weston, across where the West Belt Line used to run, and then south from there back to Dundas and Bloor.

Being able to avoid major roads wherever possible makes for a much more enjoyable and safer time. I'm off now to Rouge Hill to cycle back. Got to stay in shape for my next real out of town trek.

 

[the lemur]

I just saw someone fall off a bike and get hurt on Saturday on this bike path on Lake Shore when I was walking along it. There is a railway track crossing the bike path near Carlaw Avenue, and the bicyclist hit it and fell over. Fortunately the bicyclist only got a few cuts and bruises. But this clearly shows how much of a hazard streetcar tracks are for bicyclists in Toronto, and why bicycling is dangerous.

I've tripped on curbs, streetcar tracks, etc. Walking is dangerous. Better stay indoors.

 

[rbt]

Walking is dangerous. Better stay indoors.

What, and risk hurting your "furniture finder"? That's what I call my little toe; all too often it finds a table leg while walking past.

 

[W. K. Lis]

What, and risk hurting your "furniture finder"? That's what I call my little toe; all too often it finds a table leg while walking past.

Then there's the possible presence of Felidae or Canidae crossing your path. Need to install the appropriate signage if you have guests, especially.

 

[the lemur]

What, and risk hurting your "furniture finder"? That's what I call my little toe; all too often it finds a table leg while walking past.

Good point. Best to lie perfectly still somewhere.

 

[steveintoronto]

Miller's postings are interesting, well worth clicking on the link above.

However! Blaming drivers alone is far too easy and simplistic. I've yelled at more cyclists in the last 24 hours than I have at motorists. Many more. Don't get me wrong, many motorists are morons, but the number of morons on bikes appears to be increasing at an alarming rate. It's to the point that I *avoid cycle lanes* in many cases because so many cyclists are oblivious to the protocols of the road. Like cycling straight through crosswalks with children crossing, flying through red lights without looking...don't get me started. Toronto has pretty much destroyed my patience with cyclists, and I haven't owned a car for decades. I'm a distance cyclist.

 

[salsa]

In last 24 hours:
- 8 pedestrians struck by car drivers
- 4 cyclists struck by car drivers
- 1 building struck by a car driver

Kyle Miller@kyleplans
6 hours ago
Since I started tracking on May 30, drivers in Toronto have... - struck 58 cyclists, - struck 67 pedestrians, and - killed 5 pedestrians.

Absolutely awful. If John Tory thinks that $3 million to re-open a Gardiner lane earlier and another few hundred millions for the Gardiner hybrid plan are bargains, then what is the value of safety?

 

[ADRM]

TICKET THAT BANK. WE NEED A CRACKDOWN ON ROGUE JUMPING BANKS.

 

[reaperexpress]

I usually take Hendon/Bishop between Hendon Park and Willowdale Ave. Streets are (barely) more predictable than going through parking lots.

If I were going across Yonge I would use the road too, but if I'm riding along the path my destination is always either Finch Station itself, or somewhere in North York Centre, in which case I'd go down Beecroft.

The funnest section of the Finch Hydro Corridor trail is going eastbound from Bayview to the East Don Trail - love those switchbacks!

I did a ride and review of the east segment last week. It's pretty good, but the missing links to Finch and Old Cummer stations, as well as the huge hill into the Don Valley limit its possible utility as a transportation route. That 720 m hill into the East Don valley took 75 seconds for me to descend in the video, but going back up took nearly 5 minutes. Very few people would do that kind of workout on their way to work. But at least the path between there and Finch Station would be useful for commuting if the path were completed across Yonge.

Here's the ride eastbound from Finch Station to (almost) Old Cummer GO Station. There is absolutely no connection with the GO station, and as a result, even people living right next to the station would need to travel nearly a kilometre to walk or bike to it. I bet many people drive from the neighbourhood to the station even though it's only a few hundred metres in a straight line.

The 3.9 km trip took 13 minutes, which is an 18 km/h average despite waiting 95 seconds for the signal at Bayview.

 

[mdrejhon]

Like cycling straight through crosswalks with children crossing, flying through red lights without looking...don't get me started. Toronto has pretty much destroyed my patience with cyclists, and I haven't owned a car for decades. I'm a distance cyclist.

I am wondering if there's a culture change of some kind still in progress.

But also planning factors. For example, keeping cycle lanes free of obstacles (a problem all too common on Richmond/Adelaide), isolating cyclists more from cars (more knockdown poles, curbs), bleeping bright green paint even through intersections to help aid both cyclists/cars from deviating into each other's territory at the wrong time -- better sync with reasonable practice (idaho stop) since studies show being closer to actual practice increases compliance (e.g. increases looking around before passing a stop sign).

While enforcement isn't a replacement for proper urban planning -- making it easier to follow the law is important. Thanks to better markings too (including markings through intersections), fewer infrastructure gaps, better barriers (which also prevent illegal parking/taxi stands in cycle lanes), better construction detour planning, etc. Fewer law easily violated means better enforcement for the remaining law violators on both sides so both parties start following now-easier-to-follow rules. And increases compliance because people are seeing fewer laws violated because of better infrastructure thought.

Right now, cycle infrastructure in some spots is often half-***-thought-out. Gaps not even filled with a single sharrow. Poor markings through intersections. Missing barriers. Poor detours at construction. Token painted lines. Clandestine taxi stands. Not even tactile bumps on the painted cycle lines. No markings through many intersections to immediately alert drivers to stop creeping into bike lanes during right turns. All kind of practices that increases number of vehicles (both cars and bikes) to violate.

We're currently increasing number of cyclists, without increasing #VisionZero thought put into slapped-on bike infrastructure, and then putting in so many reasons to cause bad road behavior in all parties. Great progress being made in areas, but sometimes it seems like three steps forward, two and a half steps back -- at times.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I see so many cyclists commuting now on both Dundas and Gerrard Streets between River and Parliament. There's no space to put bike lanes and it's only a matter of time until someone is squashed on their bike. When they redid Regent Park they should have widened the curb to put a bike lane, there's still time for Gerrard on the south side, perhaps two directions on one side of the road?

 

[UserNameToronto]

I see so many cyclists commuting now on both Dundas and Gerrard Streets between River and Parliament. There's no space to put bike lanes and it's only a matter of time until someone is squashed on their bike. When they redid Regent Park they should have widened the curb to put a bike lane, there's still time for Gerrard on the south side, perhaps two directions on one side of the road?

Great point. Gerrard really needs a lane - the next closest E-W corridor is Shuter, which is some way south.

 

[Napoleon]

I see so many cyclists commuting now on both Dundas and Gerrard Streets between River and Parliament. There's no space to put bike lanes and it's only a matter of time until someone is squashed on their bike. When they redid Regent Park they should have widened the curb to put a bike lane, there's still time for Gerrard on the south side, perhaps two directions on one side of the road?

You know they just don't think about that kind of thing. Right now they're doing streetscape improvements on College between Shaw and Havelock:
http://www1.toronto.ca/City Of Toro...college_streetscape_cons-w18-19_june17-16.pdf
Plenty of opportunity to actually install a bike lane here as part of the reconfiguration of the sidewalk. College Street has one of the highest, if not highest fractions of bike traffic in Toronto. Sadly short-sighted planning means nothing will hapen.

 

[salsa]

Plenty of opportunity to actually install a bike lane here as part of the reconfiguration of the sidewalk. College Street has one of the highest, if not highest fractions of bike traffic in Toronto. Sadly short-sighted planning means nothing will hapen.

I don't see "plenty of opportunity" at all. What does short sighted planning have to do with lack of space?

 

[salsa]

Councillor Holyday's latest stupidity: he wants a report on bike licensing.

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2016.MM20.18