Bayview Avenue is making a small step, at least politically, towards bike friendliness. Local cyclists, including those from the Sunnybrook hospital BUG, ICES, have been discussing the needs of the area with staff and the city councillor, Cliff Jenkins. Less than a month ago, a cyclist died in a collision on Bayview Avenue. Daniel Egan has reported back to the local cyclists that Bayview Avenue is being "considered" for bike lanes next year. In his words:
"In fact, Bayview is in the Bike Plan and we are considering including it in next year's program."
While it's not news that Bayview is "in the bike plan", it is significant that it is being considered for the 2008 program. Does this mean the design will begin then, or the installation?
Bayview Avenue is a particularly important piece of the bicycle network because of the lack of 401 crossings and the lack of useful neighbourhood streets. Not only is Bayview used for north-south routes, but cyclists heading east and west are forced to use Bayview to get around Bridle Path and Sunnybrook Hospital.
Comments
Anonymous (not verified)
401 Interchange
Fri, 07/06/2007 - 12:40Where exactly would the bike lane go when it meets the 401? In several California examples where a bike lane meets a Parclo interchange (seen from google earth), the bike lane is never clearly defined through the interchange. If it doesn't simply disappear, it becomes a road shoulder that leads the cyclist into the on-ramp. Has anyone ever seen such an interchange in person, and if so, how much safer is it than the current system?
vic
Interchanges
Fri, 07/06/2007 - 13:26Something they did in Burlington (or are about to do?) is make one of the highway onramps safer for pedestrians and cyclists by slowing the speed at which motorists can enter the ramp.
This is done by taking away the long, sweeping high-speed onramp and replacing it with an onramp that you have to nearly stop and do a 90-degree right-hand turn to enter. Motorists can no longer zoom by to get on the ramp. Here's a very highly detailed diagram of what I mean:
http://vic.gedris.org/pics/tmp/onramps.jpg
The same can be done with the offramps (though I think at Bayview the offramps already do this,, mostly).
I think this style of on/off ramp would make it easier to put in a bike lane, if such a thing was desired. But it would be pretty damn difficult to get this changed. Expensive, and now you're in MTO territory, not just the city.
Having bike lanes crossing those fast-moving on-ramps is scary.
I wonder if the TAC bike marking guidelines address this.
darren
Bayview at 401
Fri, 07/06/2007 - 15:45What CAD software did you use for those drawings, Vic?
The Bike Plan map shows a crossing of the 401 to the west of Bayview, and another one much further to the east. This is not so ideal because it means you get sidetracked, but the most likely road for a cyclist north of the 401 is probably Willowdale.
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-dj
bz (not verified)
A bikeable north-south
Sat, 07/07/2007 - 13:38A bikeable north-south connection from the neighborhoods north of the 401is a great barrier for existing and wannabe bicycle commuters who work south. In this respect Bayview Ave. is crucial for North York cyclists.
Thanks for posting and we'll keep you up to date after our meeting w/ Jenkins this Thursday.
Brandon
ICES BUG
Darren_S
Contest
Sun, 07/08/2007 - 22:27There should be a design contest to see who can come up with 1)best redesign for existing interchanges/intersections and 2) best design for a new one - that takes into consideration cyclists.
I have thought that simply putting on bollard about 2 metres from each corner could reduce the speed in which cars turn around corners and provide space for cyclists both going straight through and turning right. I have seen something similar for cars only and it was a bit of a failure, maybe because they used plastic bollards. Saw another example that worked well in Quebec but it was on a very slow road.
All intersections have conflicts, just a matter of where you want it to occur. Bayview is nasty because it has an additional turning lane.