1. joe
   Admin
   Posted 4 years ago #
   

   Really good article from a couple weeks ago in NOW magazine... making the case for physically seperate bikelanes:

   1. A separated lane will encourage those anxiously teetering on the edge of leaving their cars at home to enter the pedal-powered world. If we really mean it about stopping auto-domination of our city, we need to make cycling as attractive as possible.

   2. European cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen that put cash into separated bike lanes now see about a third of commutes made by bike and reap the enviro, infrastructure and stress-relieving rewards.

   3. Simply put, separated means safe. Worries about being whacked or doored are the major reason would-be cyclists are pedal-shy. If we don’t want riders to get killed by trucks, let’s not let trucks squat in bike lanes. Divide and conquer danger.

   4. Sure, putting a divided bike lane on Jarvis won’t win the city any awards for innovation, but it will show a commitment to tomorrow that can’t be easily retracted with the right number of council votes. It would serve as a pledge to Torontonians that cyclists are the future, not the pesky fringe of the future.

   5. What better place to incubate a new approach than on a stretch of Jarvis once poisoned by the same fast-moving 1950s car-think that threatens to strangle our outlying ’hoods? Building separated lanes would set a shining example for the burbs, where even veteran cyclists hesitate to dance with 60-to-70 km/h passing minivans.

2. joe
   Admin
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Found some good photos in the Spacing photostream of bikelanes over the McDonald Bridge in Halifax.

   

   

   Pedestrian side:

   

   Also, Spacing is launching an Atlantic blog, in case you haven't heard.

3. Patch
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   I love this! What I wouldn't give to have this in Toronto. Almost every time I'm on my bike in traffic I'm fearful of getting hit - again! I wonder what it would take to get some politicos interested?

4. jeff
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Montreal has had some decent separated bike lanes for years and years. Toronto is so far behind the curve it is a bit embarrassing.

5. Duncan
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Here's one very, very short physically separate bike lane in Toronto, Oriole Parkway at Kilbarry Road:

   

   Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!

6. Patch
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   I guess we're light years away from the divided bike lanes. But I'm a bit encouraged each time I see new bicycle posts being installed, like these ones this morning on McCaul Street:

7. joe
   Admin
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Me too Patch. Puts a smile on my face. They recently put in a bunch right outside Woodbine station... what used to be 4 lonely post-and-rings are now 14 happy ones. :) They are pretty well used too.

8. Patch
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Likewise on McCaul - every single new post has at least one or two bikes on it! Previously there were two and sometimes three bikes attached to lamp posts, trees and of course all bike posts over-utilized and the OCAD bike rack is always filled to overflowing now that the students are back. I'm not sure if a couple of us that live here helped facilitate it, but we took pictures of bikes on lamp posts that were falling into the street, plus the OCAD bike rack full-up and sent them to the City.

9. toddtyrtle
   Moderator
   Posted 3 years ago #
   

   Nice. Also, is it me or is ridership higher than normal right now? I was riding on College last night at about 8PM and was in a pack of about 10 people despite the kind of icky weather. Then when I went to spin class in the King and Bathurst area there were tons of bikes locked up there. last year I used to be one of the only ones locking a bike up there.

10. AnnieD
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #
    

    I definitely think there are more bikes out there right now than last year at this time. It's still downright crowded in the downtown area (using the term loosely) during peak hours, and I've also had the experience of heading home in the late evening (eg: 9:30pm) with a few other cyclists. I hope it continues - it sends a strong message to drivers that cycling is not a 4-month/year activity, something I keep reading in newspaper comments whenever the subject of cycling infrastructure comes up. I also feel much safer when I know that drivers know that cyclists are still out there.

11. toddtyrtle
    Moderator
    Posted 3 years ago #
    

    That has been the number one advantage to moving close to downtown - I feel like I am somewhere where I'm at least expected. Living in Thorncliffe Park was nice enough - pretty walkable, nice area. However, I lived at the far end and Overlea could be something of a white-knuckle ride. And frankly until I got down to the Danforth it was still a bit dicey.

    Back to the subject at hand, though. Isn't there a physically separated lane way out on Eglinton West? I've never ridden out there myself but at least here it looks pretty nice.

12. Duncan
    Moderator
    Posted 3 years ago #
    

    @toddtyrtle

    On the Toronto Cycling Map that stretch, from Jane heading West to the 401/East Mall junction is listed at a major multi-use path. But, whatever you call it, it is off the road and all the better for it. I haven't been out that way either, would love to know what kind of traffic it gets.

    I'm moving, and so is my current office. After both moves about 80% of my commute will be along multi-use paths along the Humber River.

    And lastly, maybe it's because this is my first year cycling a lot during the fall, but there are a ton of people still out there. Bike parking is overflowing along popular streets and you won't turn a corner without seeing at least one person on a bike, at all times of the day. Sure, now that it's dark there are a lot of people on bikes on sidewalks, but, with angry drivers rushing home before daylight ends, I don't blame them one bit.

    Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!

13. Angus
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #
    

    That Eglinton stretch is fantastic, everyone should check it out even if you don't have a reason to be out that way. A short part of it goes through a wooded area, you really escape from the city even though the traffic isn't too far away.
    A lot of arterial roads could fit something like this, there's often a wide stretch of grass between the sidewalk and the road.

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