Contra-flow bike lanes have been stuck in legal limbo in Toronto for the last few years. Looks like this might soon end as the province may clarify the law by year end for hesitant Toronto City Staff who've held off on putting in the bike lanes.
Though it's welcome news to have this issue resolved (hopefully in the affirmative), it appears to be a made-in-Toronto problem as Transportation Services staff in Toronto have held up the council-approved contra-flow bike lane while Ottawa City staff have continued to install them. Ottawa has interpreted the Highway Traffic Act as allowing for contra-flow bike lanes.
A contra-flow is a one-way bike lane that can be installed on one-way streets so that cyclists can use the street as two-ways while motorized traffic must continue to follow the one-way restriction. A few contra-flow bike lanes were already installed in Toronto before this became an issue (Montrose, Strathcona).
Cycle Toronto (in particular the Ward 14 group with Laura Pin) got the support of MPP Jonah Schein and Councillor Mike Layton in making a request to the province for clarification. [Updated: it was ward 14, not 13 as comments note]
InsideToronto.com has more info:
David Salter, press secretary for transport minister Bob Chiarelli, confirmed the province was working alongside several municipalities, including Toronto, on updating Ontario Traffic Manual guidelines in regards to cycling issues. Part of the update, according to Salter, includes examining contra-flow lanes, which allow cyclists to travel in both directions on some one-way streets.
“We’re looking forward to receiving the project team’s recommendations and will review them as quickly as possible,” wrote Salter in a statement Tuesday morning.
The city has approved the installation of 13 more contra-flow lanes as part of its official bike plan, including a series of lanes on Shaw Street in 2013.
But to put in the lanes, the city requires clarification from the province regarding a section of the Highway Traffic Act, which prohibits two-way traffic along a one-way street, said city councillor Mike Layton.
Layton said technical issues related to signage for the lanes may also be holding up the process.
“What we’re seeking is we want to make sure they’re safe and no one is bending the rules, and that’s going to take some clarification on the side of the minister,” said Layton, who represents Trinity-Spadina.
City council voted last week to adopt a motion seeking clarification by the end of 2012 from the province regarding the legality of contra-flow lanes.
Last week, provincial transportation critic Jonah Schein said over 600 people have signed a petition asking for clarification from the minister regarding the lanes.
“It doesn’t require a legislative change, it just requires the minister to let us and the city know when we can move ahead with contra-flow,” said Schein, who represents Davenport for the NDP.
He said approving the legality of the lanes would improve safety for cyclists, especially those who make use of one-way streets to avoid main arterial road traffic.
“That would provide proper lane markings and there would actually be a bike lane on a one-way street,” said Schein. “By making the lanes legal and providing proper signage we could essentially create a safer way for cyclists to commute the city.”
Comments
jnyyz
Herb, It was the ward 14
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 05:49Herb,
It was the ward 14 group that took the lead on this.
Fred S
I was in the Netherlands
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 08:14I was in the Netherlands recently, and all they do for small one-way streets is put "bicycles excepted" on the one-way sign (in Dutch, of course).
The government makes things here so complicated sometimes...
Kivi Shapiro (not verified)
I firmly believe that if city
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 18:59I firmly believe that if city staff had a large supply of "bicycles excepted" signs and pressure to use them wisely, then many of our transportation difficulties would evaporate.
David Juliusson (not verified)
I know of one contra flow
Mon, 12/10/2012 - 08:19I know of one contra flow lane in the City. Remembrance Drive is one way south to the light at the Lakeshore. There is a bike lane and a sign saying Bicycles excepted.
Kivi Shapiro (not verified)
I firmly believe that if city
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 19:03I firmly believe that if city staff had a large supply of "bicycles excepted" signs and pressure to use them wisely, then many of our transportation difficulties would evaporate.
Fred S
In addition to having the
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 22:06In addition to having the bike excepted signs on one-way streets, you also saw them on many dead end signs. Cars would be prevented from going through small residential areas, but bikes would have a bike path at the dead-end that would connect usefully to another road.
ALA Dutch Bike Tour (not verified)
Thank you for this post. I
Mon, 12/10/2012 - 08:23Thank you for this post. I think there are so many simple solutions that wouldn't take much work at all to implement. For starters, I agree with Kivi, that Bicycle Excepted Signs, would do the trick.