‘Floating Parking’ for Separated Cycle-ways on Richmond?

As we plan for separated bike lanes on Richmond and or Adelaide this video from StreetFilms introduces a new vision solution.
(via Peter Low at the Facebook Group, “City of Toronto Cycling” – http://www.facebook.com/groups/140997182582942/319347428081249/)

I Love this, it’s brilliant – and it makes the over-all streetscape beautiful at the same time, perfect for these two ‘canyon’ streets.

‘Floating Parking’ & Bike-Buffer Zones in Separated Cycletracks

by Clarence Eckerson, Jr. – March 6, 2011 – http://www.streetfilms.org/floating-parking-bike-buffer-zones-in-separated-cycletracks/

“Floating Parking” & Bike Buffer Zone in Separated Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

For more info see:

“One Step Closer to Separated Bikelanes on Adelaide and Richmond Streets”
November 7, 2011 By Joe T. – http://bikingtoronto.com/blog/2011/11/one-step-closer-to-separated-bikelanes-on-adelaide-and-richmond-streets/

“Protect Richmond & Adelaide!” The Bike Union – http://bikeunion.to/protected-bike-lanes/richmond

mh

Cycling To The Port Lands: 

Creating a ‘Gateway’ at Leslie Street through the ‘Great Wall’ – Lake Shore Boulevard

Update: 25 January 2012  - Lito Romano – TTC Community Liaison Officer (lito.romano@ttc.ca) has sent out a notification about the next meeting of the “Leslie Street Streetscape Working Group – it’s:

January 31, 2012
6:30 pm-8:30 pm
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
955 Queen Street East

They’d like people to RSVP to make sure there’s enough chairs and such, by January 27th 2012 – via lito.romano@ttc.ca

December 8, 2011

Lake Shore Boulevard defines the northern extent of Toronto’s “Port Lands”. The East/West automobile corridor is a ‘Great Wall’ to cyclists and pedestrians. Highways are wonderful for moving cars and trucks from point A to point B quickly – but in doing so they create barriers for everything else. These ‘Great Walls’ also have the effect of funneling traffic towards ‘Gateways’ that breach them periodically.

In the mashup below I’ve attempted to illustrate how Leslie Street and Cherry Street are the ‘sentry tower’ Gateways to Toronto’s Port Lands and Tommy Thompson Park.

(click on image for larger view)

Gateways to Toronto's Water Front

Leslie Street and Cherry Street are Gateways to the Portlands because they both connect to The Martin Goodman Trail, which circles the Port Lands and connects the City to the new Tommy Thompson Park Cycling and Walking Trails at Unwin Avenue and Leslie Street.

Carlaw Avenue, Logan Avenue and the Don Roadway do get cyclists and walkers across the Great Wall, but they only connect to Commissioners Street – then you have to travel East or West along Commissioners to access the Martin Goodman Trail.

Below is the embed of the map in the image.

View The Gateways to Toronto’s Water Front in a larger map

One of the big issues in Leslieville has been ( and is ) the way this neighbourhood is cut off from the Water Front – namely The Port Lands, Tommy Thompson Park and the Martin Goodman Trail – ironically, by transportation infrastructure ( designed solely for automobile traffic ).

On Tuesday I rode my bike from Jones Ave. and Dundas St. E. across the Great Wall that is Lake Shore Blvd. through the Leslie Street ‘Gateway’ to the Tommy Thompson Park Bicycle Trail.

Below is my safe route that avoids the murderous hell that is Leslie Street from Queen Street East to Lake Shore Boulevard.

View Leslieville to Leslie Spit via the Tommy Thompson Park Biking Trail in a larger map

Opportunity knocks!

Because the TTC is building a street car barn at Lake Shore and Leslie to house part of the fleet of new Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) street cars - Leslie Street between Queen and Commissioners is about to be completely torn up in order to install street car tracks. The construction is to be so extensive that a re-visioning of the entire streetscape is in the works.

Cycling advocates see an opportunity to better connect cycling and walking infrastructure to the Portlands and the new Tommy Thompson Park Cycling and walking trails. The enabling of transportation infrastructure for more than just cars will not only connect this neighbourhood to the new parkland infrastructure – but it will connect the entire City of Toronto to it.

Several consultation meetings between residents and stake holders and the city have already taken place; they are on-going.
( New Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance & Storage Facility/Public Consultation – http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/lrv/index.htm#pc )

On November 9th I attended one such meeting. Architects presented a landscape proposal for Leslie Street below Lake Shore; and Lake Shore Boulivard itself between Leslie Street and Ashbridges Bay. In the proposal the Martin Goodman Trail remains pretty well where it is and a walking trail is added that weaves through a hedgerow shrubby, bulrushes and deciduous tree planted landscape contoured with lowlands and berms, and including seating. Councilor Mary Margaret McMahon ( http://www.councillormcmahon.com/ ) suggested bike lock-up hoops and someone else, drinking fountains.
( Perimeter Landscape – Ashbridges Bay Maintenance & Storage Facility – http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/lrv/pdf/2011-11-09_perimeter_present.pdf )

A further consultation meeting about Leslie Street north to Queen Street is in the works. A planned meeting for September 28, 2011 was postponed. It was re-schedualed for this week, Tuesday December 6th 2011, but that meeting was also postponed – to give architects more time to work through proposals made at other meetings.
( To get on the email list to be informed when this meeting is re-schedualed see the bottom of this article. )

So for cyclists and pedestrians – the issue is not how the proposed landscape architecture will look through the windscreen of an idling car stuck in grid lock on Lake Shore Boulevard – but rather how to get to the cycling and walking infrastructure that is being proposed to be a part of it.

Paul Young, Cycling Advocate and Health Promotor at the South Riverdale Community Health Centre petitioned the City to instal Bike Lanes along Leslie Street at a Public Consultation Meeting on September 14, 2011 at the Toronto Fire Academy – 895 Eastern Avenue. The City has so far replied that the Street’s foot print is too narrow for 2 lanes North and South, plus Bike Lanes. They suggest alternate Cycling Routes be found.

From the minutes (Item 4 – http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/lrv/pdf/2011-09-14_minutes.pdf – my emphasis):

“TTC provided the following comments:
-$750,000 is the allocated budget for streetscaping of the study
area.
-Landscaping for the perimeter of the facility will be funded
separately
-Traffic Study indicates 4 lanes must be maintained in roadway
thus limiting the amount of space we have for streetscaping.
-Traffic lanes on Leslie should not be narrower than 3.3 metres.
-Pedestrian and cyclist safety should be considered in any re-design
of Leslie Street, including intersections and mid-block entrances to
the commercial plazas.
-TTC will use multi-use poles where feasible in order to reduce
sidewalk clutter.
-The poles on the east side of Leslie St. do not have the required
bearing capacity- (ie limited use).
-City of Toronto Transportation have been asked to participate in all
future working group meetings, and public meetings associated
with Streetscaping, Construction Staging and Traffic Management.
-City of Toronto Transportation has commented on the traffic
counts and is of the opinion that the numbers being used are
satisfactory for this exercise.”

I find cycling on Leslie Street between Queen and Lake Shore to be hell on two wheels, so I’ve been doing just as they suggest.

Imagine an area, a semi-circle extending north to Queen Street and centred by the intersection of Lake Shore and Leslie. This area is full of danger points of for cyclists and pedestrians.

Here’s a map I made that high-lights several problems areas I have noticed cycling and walking in the area – and some solutions I’ve imagined.

View Problems & Solutions: Leslie St. Gateway area in a larger map

List of Danger Points on Approch to the Leslie Gateway

1. The north/South Bike Lanes, Jones Avenue and Greenwood Avenue, end at Queen Street which, is a busy and dangerous route. Queen Street does not have Bike Lanes.

To connect the Greenwood Bike Lane to the Lower Don Recreation Trail, Knox Avenue is the obvious choice for a new Separated Bike Lane – it is a mere 20 metre jog West of the end of the Greenwood Bike Lane and the street already connects to the Lower Don Recreational Trail. ( The Bike Lane must be Separated along here because Knox is a through-way for Canada Post trucks, I suggest the western boulevard of 895 Eastern Avenue with planters separating the Bike Lane from the street – to replace the loss of green along the boulevard. )

Because there is no room for cyclists through the Leslie Street Gateway, I suggest a Cyclist’s Bridge over Lake Shore Boulevard at Knox Avenue.

2. Next is the problem of how to connect the Jones Avenue Bike Lane to the Lower Don Recreation Trail, which in turn, connects to my proposed cyclists bridge at Knox Ave..

Again, just a 20 metre jog to the West of the end of the Jones Avenue Bike Lane is a lovely, quiet neighbourhood street called Berkshire Avenue – which runs from Queen to Eastern, just West of the Eastern Avenue Chicane. A Cyclists Cross Walk needs to be installed at Eastern and Berkshire Ave..

On the South side of Eastern Avenue there are a series of film studio warehouses with massive parking lots that are rarely full – a perfect route to the Lower Don Recreational Trail. A Bike Path could be constructed along the eastern edge of the warehouse parking lot and then proceed between the eastern most warehouse and the back of the Price Choppers Store – where there is a 3 metre wide gap that cries out to be a Bike Path.
( On the map “Problems & Solutions: Leslie St. Gateway area” [http://g.co/maps/6z757] an info box shows on load titled: “Street View of proposed Bike Path route – Eastern Avenue, behind Price Chopper, to the Lower Don Recreational Trail“ - click on “more” (bottom right of info box), then click “Street View” in the drop down menu.)

3. Eastern Avenue, one block south of Queen, is a highway in all but name. At rush hour it generally runs faster than the posted speed limit. As Eastern approaches Leslie Street from the West, it chicanes north creating an extremely dangerous crossing area for cyclists and pedestrians – and a stressful predicament for car drivers trying to enter and exit residential streets to the North – and shopping malls to the South. Even with Bike Lanes on Eastern I feel very vulnerable through the chicane. Plus the Bike Lanes dissapear in favour of right turn lanes at Leslie in both directions.

In order to research this piece I did the ride again today – at 4:30pm. The on-Leslie experience for a cyclist is lots of turning cars and lane changing that forces you to the curb ( if you don’t take your lane ) and lots of waiting at lights. On “GO!” drivers power off the intersection in order to get to the next set of lights to stop at. The result being you’re pushed towards the curb – and then you catch all the impatient drivers at the next light – and do it all over again.

4. At Mosley Street just to the west of Leslie, at the exit from Price Choppers, there are too many traffic vectors in a tiny amount of traffic space. Fast moving traffic off of Eastern Avenue exits onto Mosley and either proceeds to Leslie, or turns into the Price Choppers parking lot. West bound traffic on Mosley – at the Price Choppers entrance - curves north towards Eastern Avenue – they may either slow to negotiate the right curve or decide to turn left into the parking area. Traffic exiting the Price Choppers lot may go right to Leslie, or reconnoiter well down Eastern to the west and hope no one is exiting onto Mosley and risk a left into the curve on Mosley – that stops short at the stop sign at Eastern. For a car it’s perfect fender bender territory – for a cyclist or pedestrian it’s a confusing, life threatening corner.

5. The intersection of Leslie Street and the Loblaws’ parking lot entrance – right across from the Price Choppers parking lot entrance is not a street but is fully Traffic Lighted like an regular intersction. There are three total lanes of traffic going in and out of each parking lot (left turn lanes on both). The crosswalk on the Price Choppers side is not clearly marked – add to that the fact that there is no clear definition between where the sidewalk ends and the crosswalk starts – the side walk continues across the intersection, dipping down to road level and becomes part of the street. Trucks and cars are regularly stopped or parked on the right hand side of the extra wide West bound ‘IN’ lane into Price Choppers – making the intersection more confusing than it already is.

—————————————–

I’m on Lito Romano’s email notification list. The next meeting of the Public Consultation Procss has not yet been set. I will post an update here when it is decided.

If you want to voice your opinion contact Lito Romano – TTC Community Liaison Officer ( lito.romano@ttc.ca ) and ask him to notify you when the next meeting of the “Leslie Street Streetscape Working Group’ meeting is set.

mh

One cyclist’s commute – Finch and Islington to 1 Young Street

@OccupyToronto - official

I’ve been doing a lot of media for OccupyToronto the last month and a half, so haven’t posted here much.

This morning while doing Occupy research, I came across  Brendan Kennedy, an avid cyclist and a Staff Reporter with the Toronto Star – who is covering Occupy Toronto for The Star.
( I was building my Twitter stream of people on-the-ground at St James Park – in advance of possible Police Services enforcement of a City of Toronto eviction notice;  an action protesters say they will counter with non-violent, civil disobedience. ) 

Brendan Kennedy TO Star Staff Reporter

Last year before the Civic Elections, Brendan Kennedy wrote about commuting to work by bicycle from Finch and Islington to The Toronto Star building at 1 Young Street – and back. It’s a good example of a do-able, long commute by bicycle.

Here’s the video that goes with the article:

The article touches on eveyrthing I find important around the issue of cycling infrastructure: the quality of the roads in Toronto for cyclists, the less dangerous, off-main-artery routes that a regular commute reveals,  and the annoying nature of the path system which as Kennedy says, [Is] “..indirect and meandering, designed for recreation, not commuting.”
“

Moving forward: Is the bicycle the solution to transit woes?

” - Sunday, October 10, 2010 - http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/873415

“For me, the bicycle has always been the better way.

There are the obvious benefits: exercise, affordability, doing your part for the environment.

I also love the agility a bicycle affords — how it becomes an extension of your body, letting you slip through tight spaces to explore the city’s intersecting alleyways; or, during rush hour, zoom passed rows of gridlocked cars.

For commuting, I appreciate the predictability. I never have to listen to traffic reports, worry about construction detours or wait for a bus.

When I’m ready, I go.

7:32 a.m. – Southwest corner of Finch and Islington

It’s lonely in the suburbs for a cyclist.”

.. read the rest…

Twitter – @BKennedyStar - https://twitter.com/#!/BKennedyStar

Video: Commute by bicycle

mh

Germany to replace Nuclear by 2022 – Can Ontario follow?

Der Spiegel reports that Germany has crossed the 1/5 mark in renewable energy sourcing. Photovoltaics are leading the way in the increase in sustainable energy supply over the last year – which has seen Germany’s non-nuclear, non petrochemical portion of energy sourcing climb from 18% to almost 21% – so says an industry report on the matter…

08/30/2011

Crossing the 20 Percent Mark

Green Energy Use Jumps in Germany

dapd

Germany is experiencing record highs when it comes to use of renewable energies.

During the first half of 2011, the share of renewable energy sources used by Germans in their total energy mix grew to one-fifth — a hefty boost over 2010. It’s a small step toward Germany’s ambition to phase out nuclear power.

It is a report that is bound to please Chancellor Angela Merkel. Just months after she expended significant political capital to guide Germany’s future energy production away from nuclear and toward renewable sources, a report by a leading energy industry group indicates that production of renewables in the country is rising rapidly.

According to the report, released on Monday by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), renewables accounted for fully 20.8 percent of production during the first six months of 2011. “Renewable energies have crossed the 20 percent mark in Germany for the first time,” the association said in a statement.

In 2010, green energy consumption totalled 18.3 percent of total demand.

The increase, the BDEW says, is unconnected to Merkel’s decision to immediately close seven nuclear power plants in the wake of the March disaster at the Fukushima complex in Japan. But it does give a boost to Germany’s long-term effort to phase out nuclear power completely by 2022. Chancellor Merkel has said the goal by then is to draw 35 percent of production from renewables.

Solar Also Rises

Total usage in Germany remained stable from 2010 at 275.5 billion kilowatt-hours, but energy from sources like wind, biomass, hydroelectric plants, solar panels and waste incineration rose to 57.3 billion KWh in the first six months of this year.

Wind power, the most important source, rose to 20.7 billion KWh, or 7.5 of total usage. Biomass (5.6 percent), photovoltaic solar (3.5 percent), and hydroelectric power (3.3 percent) were next in line. Waste incineration and other sources covered 0.8 percent of total demand.

The real change came in the photovoltaic sector, where output almost doubled — up more than 76 percent since 2010. “Because of the volume of new photovoltaic installations and the amount of sun during the spring, solar energy knocked hydroelectric from third place for the first time,” the BDEW said in a statement.

…

..read the rest.

Via Grist – http://www.grist.org/renewable-energy/2011-08-31-germany-sets-renewables-record

mh

Nice Ride Minnesota Expanding – Bike Share hugely popular

StreetFilms VIDEO

“You’ve got to go big or go home.”

R.T. Rybak
Mayor, City of Minneapolis

Nice Ride Minnesota started one year ago with 65 stations and 700 bikes. This year they’re expanding the hugely popular system, and now they’re about to add 51 new stations that will dock a total of 1200 bikes.

BIXI Toronto started this spring (May 3, 2011), with 1,000 bikes and 80 stations. Council will be looking at the program and deciding weather to expand it this fall.

The Toronto Cyclists Union has a campaign underway to encourage council to expand the program to 3000 bikes with a larger service area next year. Councillor Mike Layton is leading the charge inside City Hall’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.

Advocates want the service expanded to an area bounded by Dupont St. to the north, High Park to the west and Broadview Ave. to the east. Currently, the boundary is Bloor St. to the north, Spadina Ave. to the west and Jarvis St. to the east. The proposal is the original plan that council scaled back after City Council vote that gave final approval for the Bike Share program in 2010.

BIXI Toronto Service Area - 2011 (links to toronto.bixi.com/stations/)

Initial data from the first few months shows a high demand on the edges of the current service block, says BIXI’s Jared Kolb, director of membership and outreach, indicating a demand potential that could help sustain the popular program through scaling efficiencies.
(See article at Toronto Star June 26, 2011: “More bikes needed to help Bixi survive, says union“)

From the Cyclists Union page “Toronto Cyclists Union Launches Campaign to Expand BIXI!“:

“Given the high level of ridership and demand at the edges of the service area, the Toronto Cyclists Union wants to see an expanded BIXI program of 3,000 bicycles serving more Torontonians across a larger service area.

“To that end, we have requested that City Staff be directed, through the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, to formulate a framework for expanding BIXI Toronto. To compliment this request, we have also launched a petition titled “We Want More BIXI!” on our website. Please take a moment to sign our petition!“

Via Grist (a beacon in the smog), “Bikeshare makes for a Nice Ride in Minneapolis” by Sarah Goodyear.

Embed of StreetFilms video: “Nice Ride MN: Minnesota’s Bike Share Expands” on Vimeo.

mh