Bike lane approval streamlining and Bloor/Dundas visioning: TCAT

Laziness getting the better of me, here is a copy and paste of TCAT's latest bulletin. All that follows is from TCAT's newsletter:

1. New Bike Lane Approval Process Adopted

As reported in the November 27 TCAT News e-Bulletin, following a motion initially moved by Councillor Adrian Heaps, City Council agreed to revise its bike lane approval process. At its meeting on Tuesday, the Executive Committee approved the new process.

Under the new process, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will now review all bike lane reports and recommendations submitted by staff, instead of the four individual community councils doing so. The idea is that this will allow staff to submit reports that contain multiple bike lane proposals, instead of having to submit various individual reports. However, the majority of bike lanes - those that require amendments to on-street parking, standing and stopping regulations on roads where there are established TTC routes - will still need final approval from City Council.

Whether or not this will actually speed up the bike lane approval process still has to be demonstrated, though City staff believe it will.

To read the Executive Committee's decision document with the four specific recommendations for item EX16.5, click here.

2. Martin Goodman Trail Bollards - TCAC recommendations referred to staff
On Wednesday, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee reviewed the recommendations submitted by the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC) regarding the bollards on the Martin Goodman Trail where it meets the Boulevard Club.

TCAT made a deputation at the meeting in favour of the TCAC's recommendations. After minimal discussion, the committee decided to refer the matter back to staff to consult with interested parties, including the Boulevard Club and local councillor Gord Perks, and to report back to the committee at its meeting on April 9th. To review the recommendations for item PW12.6, click here.

While this decision likely won't please cyclists who have been demanding the removal of the bollards since they were installed last summer, the issue is still open and your continued involvement is important.

If you want your opinion heard, write:

• Councillor Perks councillor_perks@toronto.ca
• The General Manager Transportation Services, Gary Welsh - welsh@toronto.ca
• The General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Brenda Librecz - blibrecz@toronto.ca

Getting closer the April 19 meeting, it will also be important to write the committee or, better yet, make a deputation. Please be sure to carbon copy TCAT on your correspondence.

3. Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge - To be completed by 2012

Thanks to one of TCAT's supporting organizations, the Friends of Fort York and Garrison Common,
for providing an update on the design for the new bridge planned to cross the rail corridor north of Fort York and south of Liberty Village.

"One by one the barriers to access at Fort York have been overcome, but the last remaining one is the rail corridor to the north. The Fort York pedestrian and cycle bridge will overcome that barrier and connect communities north of Front Street to the waterfront.

The 16.6 ha. (41-acre) Heritage Conservation District at Fort York occupies a strategic position in the north-south and east-west waterfront network of paths for pedestrians and cyclists. The Martin Goodman Trail and Queen’s Quay are well-established links across the Lake Ontario shoreline. With the development of the Railway Lands, the Linear Park along the south side of the rail corridor will provide a second eastwest pathway. The parks and open spaces of the north-south Garrison Creek chain of pedestrian routes would connect through Fort York to Coronation Park intersecting both the Linear Park and Martin Goodman trails. The missing link, of course, is across the rail corridor.

Assuming the Environmental Assessment is initiated in 2008 and capital funding for the project is secured, the Fort York pedestrian bridge could be completed by 2012 in time for the Bicentennial Celebrations commemorating the War of 1812."

You can read all about the plans and view some drawings in the Friends' latest newsletter by clicking here (it starts on Page 7).

4. TCAT's 50th Supporting Organization - Welcome South East Toronto Bicycle User Group!

The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation has now grown to 50 supporting organizations with the recent addition of the South East Toronto Bicycle User Group (SET BUG).

This group has been very active over the past 5-10 years advocating for new and improved bicycle routes in the neighbourhoods east of the Don Valley, so it's a natural fit for them to join TCAT and continue working together.
The TCAT Steering Committee welcomes this group to TCAT.

5. Bloor/Dundas Visioning Session - January 16

The City of Toronto is seeking input and feedback that will help formulate a long-term vision of the Bloor Street West/Dundas Street West area.
To that end, a public meeting will be held Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the General Purpose Room of Indian Road Crescent Junior Public School at 285 Indian Road Crescent.
For more information, please contact Kevin Edwards at 416-392-1306 or by email at kedward@toronto.ca. You can also contact Councillor Gord Perks, Ward 14, at 416-392-7919.
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can still make your views known by sending a fax or by writing to Gary Wright, Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, City Planning Division, 100 Queen Street West, Floor 18 E, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2.