1. toddtyrtle
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   While we're fighting for infrastructure a few hundred metres at a time, elsewhere in the world people are taking on larger projects:
   

   • The City of Copenhagen is currently planning to expand the existing, extensive network of bike lanes to extend farther out into the suburbs. A network of 13 high-class routes - 'bicycle superhighways' if you will - dedicated to bicycle commuters and aimed at encouraging more to cycle to work.

   What's a Bicycle Commuter Superhighway like?
   

   • 
     - Smooth, even surfaces free of leaves, ice and snow.
     - As direct as possible with no detours.
     - Homogenous visual expression, for example, with signage and the trademark blue bike lanes through larger intersections.
     - 'Service stations' with air and tools along the routes.
     - Possibility to maintain a high speed and with sufficient width to overtake other cyclists.
     - Safe and quick crossing priority for cyclists when they approach cross streets.
     - Green Wave for cyclists through sections with frequent stop lights. (The Green Wave is in place on three main routes into Copenhagen already. Cycle 20 km/h and you hit green lights all the way.)

   (Full Article)

   So let's assume we win the war on the car (*snark*). Where are we going to put *our* bike superhighways here?

2. joe
   Admin
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Very cool article.

   I'm assuming that these are being put on existing streets. The London plans for "Cycle SuperHighways" seem to be planned for adding bikelanes to existing streets, rather than making streets bicycle-only.

3. toddtyrtle
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   I'm not sure. From what I've seen many of the lanes are also physically separated with (cars)|(buses)|(parking)|(curb)|(bikes).

   Really it wouldn't be too hard to do in some places here. If you were to widen the Martin Goodman, Don, and Humber trails we'd make some pretty good progress though we could definitely do better. I know the city is looking at hydro corridors for bike infrastructure. These would be an *excellent* place to do something like this as by their nature they cover lots of ground. And as I mentioned in another post, many of the arterials in the city have large, barely used sidewalks with wide grassy areas on both sides. This, to me, is a no-brainer. Take away some of the lawn, shrink the sidewalk if necessary (we don't need a sidewalk where 3 could walk abreast if nobody is walking there) and put in "Martin Goodman North"

4. joe
   Admin
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   For those interested, here is the forum thread about an article from Torontoist on the rail and hydro corridors, which referenced a map mashup I did of all the corridors in Toronto.

5. toddtyrtle
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Great article and mashup. How did I miss that when it came around the first time?

6. toddtyrtle
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Looks like Copenhagenize did a follow-up with some video of their infrastructure.

   My thought? Looks a lot like what the Don Trail *could* be - if pedestrians were given a separate path and if getting off the trail were easier. Right now it is useless as a bike transportation corridor on a nice day as the paths are choked with families walking abreast and unpredictable small children. It isn't safe to even approach the speed limit of 20 km/hr there. (Ha! I sound like a car driver, don't I? "Those damned cyclists riding abreast and being so unpredictable!")

   Now if a separate walking path were installed, and if a few more exits also it might begin to be useful as more than a recreational trail. Of course I still wouldn't be very likely to use it - the idea of going down a big hill to get in there only to have to haul my bike up stairs later to get somewhere slower than I would just taking the road isn't very attractive to me.

7. sandlynx
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   I dream about this happening in Lansing, MI (same weather zone as Toronto) Lansing just adopted "Complete Streets", so we cyclists have a leg up, finally, at getting the streets here made more usable for everyone. We have a "River Trail" but I don't use it much since it's usually full of walkers who never pay attention, even when you call out: "Passing on your left." often, the walkers move left, right into my passing path. So, the surface streets are much safer and faster in my opinion. And, the newbie cyclists like to use this trail too, and many of them just can't seem to figure out that this yellow line down the center of the trail means there's two lanes there, and the right lane is their lane. They don't pay much attention to that. One of them nearly took me out one day when he came tearing around a blind corner (in my lane). If I hadn't done a Fred Flintstone stop and made a dive for the dirt shoulder, he would have crashed into me. Another reason to not use the River Trail. Separation of pedestrians and cyclists is the next, needed step, as someone mentioned earlier.
   To mention a separate issue: In the States, there seems to be a new motorist sport developing which is harassing cyclists wherever they may be legally on the roads. In some cases drivers have tried to shove cyclists off into the ditch by side-swiping them. It seems to be an extension of road rage. A couple weeks ago, a guy in an humongous SUV screeched past two road cyclists, pulled in front of them and hit the brakes, almost causing a crash. Then he got out of the SUV, cussing and swearing and threatening the cyclists and telling them he was going to call the police. Fortuanately, the cyclists had a cell phone and had already called the police, and informed the enrage driver: "Don't worry, the police are already on the way." Do you have this problem up in Canada?

8. joe
   Admin
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Yes... I think stories like this (cyclists going the wrong way, drivers causing an accident and then blaming a cyclist) are universal, no matter where you go.

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