This is patently absurd if you've had any direct interaction with Transportation; they're seen by, as you say, "anti-car lefties" (which, sure, reveal your biases) as a massive and entrenched impediment to enacting more progressive (and safer) policies precisely because they're so stuck in an outdated and harmful, car-first mentality.
You do know what they say about "assume",.... FYI - I've had many direct interaction with City of Toronto's Transportation Services over the years as I've advocated & presented solutions for better pedestrian, cycling and vehicular traffic infrastructure throughout Toronto.
Another, FYI - I was part of North York Cycling & Pedestrian Committee that advocated for bike lanes on Willowdale Ave & participated in many consultations with City staff. One of our strongest argument for bike lanes on Willowdale was where needed (intersection with left turn lanes) - the wide grassy boulevard present mostly on both side of Willowdale Ave would provide more than sufficient room for bike lanes without any lost of any traffic lanes or parking spaces. But now city staff are focused only on a cheap paint job between the curbs.
I stand by my statement about the current City of Toronto Transportation Services being led by "anti-car leftie" (aka: General Manager Barbara Gray & her sidekick Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati). Their department's proposal to eliminate the Left Turn lanes on Willowdale Ave at Empress Ave & Byng Ave proves it! Photos of the intersection in my previous post, clearly shows there's more than sufficient room on the grassy boulevard to provide cycling infrastructure at these intersections while keeping the Left-Turn Lanes,... this would allow Cyclist, Drivers & Pedestrians to all safely co-exist with safe infrastructure for all - instead of making every project a war between the 3,.... but God forbid, they'll have to shift the curb over to widen the intersection & lose a few square metre of dandelion filled grassy boulevard.
As for "enacting more progressive (and safer) policies",...
- Willowdale Ave is the only continuous Minor Arterial Road (generally no stop signs, just signalize intersections) from Steeles to Sheppard between Bathurst & Bayview - usually offering a better alternative for drivers than other Minor Arterial Roads like Senlac, Beecorft, Doris Ave
- Any elimination of Left Turn lane on Willowdale & Empress and/or Byng Ave will create more gridlock congestion at those intersection - encouraging both left-turning vehicles & straight-through traffic to detour into the surrounding neighbourhoods more to avoid those intersections.- NOTE: surrounding neighbourhoods are full of Local Roads & Collectors that rely on 2-way & All-way stop at intersection - where drivers are prone to do Rolling-Stop now (just like Cyclist's Idaho-Stop) - this will create a far more dangerous situation for pedestrians in these neighbourhoods!
