Bike Lanes on Lawrence Avenue - why all cyclists should care

Funny how some people find the perceived arse end of something and then proceed to show it off for all to see, like they’ve just discovered fire.

When I hear someone comment negatively on a new Bike Lane (like Lawrence East) I get the feeling that they don't know about the extensive planning that goes into the implementation of a Bike Lane.

When the Cosburn Bike Lanes went in there were comments like "the Bike Lane to no where", and other varied and unqualified criticisms. The fact is that Cosburn had been added strategically to the Bike Network and served to connect with the Main Street GO Station, the East & West sections of the Bike Network, Taylor Creek Recreational Path, and so on...

To suggest that Bike Lanes are added haphazardly is just a bunch of nonsense; yet some will remain steadfast in their flinging of feces at new developments that fall short of their ill conceived notions of what is and what should never be.

It reminds me of a simple comparison between ducks & eagles:
Ducks quack, and complain.
Eagles soar, and overcome.

Cycling advocacy needs but one type, and it’s not the flat-billed waddler.

Hi all,

A very interesting, charged, divisive consultation this evening at Blythwood Public School. Upwards of 50 attendees, mostly white males, mostly area residents, mostly senior citizens. Very divided audience. Many outspoken, NIMBY-ish, hard-C conservatives opposed to bike lanes on Lawrence; and many soft-spoken, inclusive, bike-riding supporters stating their opinions eloquently and non-confrontationally. Incidentally, for all I wrote in my previous post, I diddn't say a word during questions and answers.

Transportation staff did a fantastic job of acknowledging and responding accountably to some of the very hostile comments and questions lobbed from the audience. Not only are our City Staff experts in their fields, they're great people who genuinely like their jobs (even when they're as unpleasant as this evening's events) and want to see things done correctly and efficiently.

The outcome is that there may be more public consultation, as calls for in-depth microanalysis of projected traffic impacts were actually heeded by Staff; and the Councillor, Cliff Jenkins, committed to "further discussions" on the issue. That is a fantastic outcome.

I like Seymore's allusory quote; I've heard it in other terms before:

Birds of a feather flock together.
Will you scratch with the turkeys,
or soar with the eagles?

Cheers,
Brian

To anybody who thinks that Bike Lanes on Bloor are an oversight by the people in Transportation Services and Cycling Infrastructure, I would ask that you study the issue more before making such foolish claims.

Political forces and misinformed voters factor in huge into this problem, not to mention other physical limitations.

I've been to so many of these meetings that they are starting to sound the same to me. I could put into a script.

The script goes something like this:

Residents are worried about road operations (car travel times, queue lengths at intersections, reduction of capacity, turning movements), and a few grumble about parking. Residents from the neighbouring streets voice their concerns about a radical increase of cars diverting onto their local streets, concerns are raised about a particular and unique community feature (in this case the Intersection with Mt.Pleasant ), and a few mention about how biking is better on the quieter local side streets and cite the dangers of riding with fast traffic on the major route.

Staff counter with usual bike plan gibberish and about city hall process because they are not allowed to be seen as "selling" the plan, or "selling" these bike lanes to the community.

Side note: I must compliment staff for doing a much better job at coming to these meetings prepared with completed parking count analysis; and for doing their best to share their plans to accommodate the levels of parking that they've encountered. This alone removes a significant objection source.

Then, from the other side, some one representing a cyclists at major local employer (in this case Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a winner of a BFBA award this past year) stands up to say that the employer has found out that providing car spaces for the employees costs a fortune and has started to encourage employees to ride their bikes for the cost savings. A local cyclists stands up to say that this plan makes sense and connects something useful with someplace useful (ie Yonge St to the existing Bike Lanes on Bayview). And depending upon how articulate the audience members are, a few (or a bunch) other good reasons why cyclists must be included in traffic on the main arterial in question, and/or on all arterials.

Then the counter-attacks begin with bike lanes on arterials not being safe enough for kids, and that the bike lanes on a street nearby (ie Bayview) is not really all that safe because all that separates it from the moving cars a stripe of paint on the road. Someone else stands up and asks for more studies and/or analysis, they may also request specific counts and estimates. Someone invariably stands up and say how they got the notice at the last minute and were luckily able to show up (but that they had to adjust their schedule to do so) and how the notice for the meeting was insufficient and how more consultation must occur.

Staff say more process stuff, and allow the councillor a few words before closing the comment period and breaking up into one-on-one discussions.

At this point, and being "kings of their domain", a decision lies with the Ward Councillor who may decide to:
1. ask staff to drop the plan (however staff can still put it on the agenda at the PWIC committee, even without the councillor's support),
2. ask staff for further studies and/or further consultation, or
3. take a chance and imply move ahead with the bike lanes.

One thing has become apparent to me in all of the places I know where bike lanes were installed in this city under very similar circumstances, that is the bike lanes have changed the way the community views that space. The road which did not have the bike lanes before is transformed in the residents' imaginations; it is now a cherished street in the community, and it is perceived as a community asset. The levels of diversion onto local streets was found to be neither intolerable nor catastrophic. While the bike lanes may have some operational impacts, the most vocal complainers invariably are those who only travel -- exclusively by car -- through the community, and are not the local residents. The locals tolerate the longer queue lengths during the peak periods because they generally appreciate how the bike lanes have calmed traffic through their neighbourhood. Collision rates usually decline, and the severity of the of the collisions is generally reduced on the affected street.

I hope that the community and the councillor takes the chance to put bike lanes on this section of Lawrence Ave E. But that's up to them; I'll be cheering them on if they do! After all, I have my own predictable script to follow.

Are you trying to tell me that this is the result of extensive study and careful implementation? Really?

No. If we had infinite space and budget, and no objections from the communities, we'd have perfect bike lanes.

Instead, what we have is a compromise solution that tries to do its best to both keep cyclists safe and still accommodates the community's other (sometimes only perceived) needs and/or often conflicting priorities within the space available.

Perfection isn't possible on this planet; try another one. This planet is populated with imperfect beings, some of whom perceive the glass as being half full, and others half empty. Myself, I see an opportunity to quench my thirst.

lukev , you sound to me like the type who splash the contents into another's face because they didn't have the same perception of the liquid in glass that you did.

...because - aside from the bickering that Anthony described so well - there were some promising concepts that caught on with this audience:
* the chap from the Sunnybrook Centre pointing out the large gain that bike use brings to his organization and thus is a lightening of the general tax payer load. Other folks pointing out they use the area's roads to get to work every day. It put an end to the "lane to nowhere" nattering.
* people did understand that bike traffic in front of their homes is preferable to car traffic. They were more worried about new bottle necks on Lawrence that would spill traffic into the smaller streets. That gives us a chance to address the root of the problem: downtown folks commuting through the area. If a re-work of the roads can put a significant dent in the volume of car commuters going through the area, we've got local support.

Luke,

Toronto only implements Bike Lanes when City Council approves them, so it's not the Transportation Planners that are to blame. To make matters even worse, we allow City Councillors to block the implementation of approved Bike Lanes even after lengthy planning & study; you can find recent examples of this with Councillors Mike Feldman or Rob Ford.

I think everybody shares in your frustration, but it's not helpless, as there is a remedy that exists in shifting public policy. The Politics of Bike Lanes is the largest obstacle to the creation of more cycling infrastructure; I wish we had a system like Montreal, New York or Portland - but that isn't our reality.

There are ways to deal with this problem however, get organized in your community by building support for cycling.

OK Luke,

I understand your point about Jarvis, but Lawrence is a completely different matter.

A bike network takes time to build, and the shift towards more cyclists in reliant on more established cycling infrastructure. A "Build it and they will come" approach has worked in other North American cities like New York & Portland, so it will take some time.

I think that if Toronto was to add lanes with ridership as the governing factor, we would still be at the drawing board. I agree that Bloor is an embarassment, but we will get there eventually. Until then, we need to implement as many sections of the 'Network' as possible.