Cyclists and BIXI users who dock at Union Station might be interested in the proposed changes to Front Street at Union Station meant to better accommodate growing pedestrian traffic. A second public meeting will be held Nov 3, 2011, 3-7 pm at Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 309 (here for more info). It will be the second and final public consultation event for this project.
Recommendations include the existing two travel lanes in each direction being reduced to one wider travel lane in each direction, marked with sharrows; expanded sidewalks, with lay-by parking for taxis, buses, etc.; new mid-block pedestrian crossing; and bike parking rings on the north side of Front Street (moved from the south side of street). The report also recommends that BIXI docking stations be placed immediately east of Bay Street and west of York Street on newly expanded sidewalks.
There is a Facebook group. And you can send comments to Jason Diceman at FrontStUnion@toronto.ca.
The proposed recommendations are quite good and will vastly improve accessibility for pedestrian traffic. It falls a bit short, however, on improving the realm for people on bikes, including the large number of people using BIXI. In European train stations, such as the ones I've visited in the Netherlands, cycling is made a higher priority than it is in this plan; bike lanes go right up to the front door and there is covered bike parking nearby. It would be nice for bike traffic to be given the same priority as taxis and car traffic.
The bike parking and the BIXI docks are being moved further away from the station. We don't know how many bike parking rings are being installed, and if they are installing enough for the anticipated number of cyclists using Union Station. A noted omission as well is not putting a BIXI station on the Bay Street Teamway west of Bay, where 2009-approved bike lanes will be installed next year.
I am hopeful that with some small changes cycling and cyclists can be better accommodated on Front Street and Union Station. Please send in your comments!
Comments
kiwano
I'm rather fond of the set of
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 12:39I'm rather fond of the set of parking rings in the Bay St. teamway (except when approaching it from the south, which involves either a substantial detour, or a fair bit of sidewalk use), and don't see why more accommodations for cyclists (both on their own bikes and on BIXI) couldn't be set up in similar arrangements on either side of the station.
Rodney (not verified)
The way I read this is that
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 15:26The way I read this is that cycling infrastructure is being moved further away from Union Station access points to make room for better pedestrian access, which is good news, but also for lay-by parking, which is bad news. The planners must find a way to reduce the necessity for people to use cars when going to Union station, otherwise we are just creating future traffic jams.
Random cyclist (not verified)
Here's what I wrote: Hello, I
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 19:29Here's what I wrote:
Hello,
I am writing to provide comments on the Front St. Environmental Assessment.
It is my understanding that "Opportunities to transform the street include:
• designing a grand civic plaza
• creating a mid-block pedestrian crossing
• improving the intersections and widening sidewalks
• considering changes to traffic lanes and the layout of taxi stands and pick-up/drop-off areas"
I am writing in hopes that you would also consider opportunities to make the street safer and more accessible for bicycles.
It is my understanding that Union Station, as the country's biggest transportation station, would constitute a "mobility hub" under Metrolinx's mobility hub guidelines.
I understand one of the themes of mobility hubs is "BALANCED ACCESS TO
AND FROM TRANSIT STATIONS", including
- Create safe and direct pedestrian and cycling routes to rapid transit stations from major destinations and regional cycling and pedestrian networks
- Provide secure and plentiful bicycle parking at station entrances with additional cycling amenities at high volume locations
- Provide clearly marked and protected access for pedestrians and cyclists at station areas to minimize conflicts, particularly at passenger pick-up and drop-offs (PPUDO), bus facilities, and parking access points"
For more fulsome reference, please refer to:
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/mobilityhubs/mobility_hu...
Given the increasing popularity of cycling, particularly with the advent of Bixi, I hope that cycling can be considered an integral part of the design of Front St. In particular, I hope that a clear option may be presented that would include full bicycle lanes, as a second option for consideration in addition to the current option of sharrows.
As a local resident, and semi-frequent user of Union Station and Front St., I hope that the redesign allows me to ride my bicycle to the station safely, park it, and ride another mode of transportation, as would befit a national transportation hub of Union Station's significance.
Thank you for your consideration,
hamish (not verified)
This is to some larger extent
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 11:48This is to some larger extent a waste of money and opportunity in my view as we desperately need a Front St. transitway to expedite transit into the core and out again, and Front St. has been an under-used road and unthought of for transit since c. was it 1993-ish, as part of the Downtown Relief line.
The golden opportunity for better transit is being squandered, and I rank this rare option in this greenhouse century with the same ranking as repainting Bloor St. for a bikeway, though yes, this would cost multi-millions.
But we really need more effective east-west transit, especially as the new streetcars won't come as often since they are larger, therefore overall the "capacity" remains the same, or so went the thinking under Mr. Giambrone and Mr. Miller.
Sinclair (not verified)
There is noticeably a bundle
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 23:20There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.