Peter of Why are We Alive? let me know the City is installing rush hour sharrows on College between Lansdowne and Manning.
The City is experimenting with sharrows along this difficult stretch. Without a political shift towards bikes, the staff have to make do with trying to accommodate streetcars, non-rush hour parking and bikes. They are conducting a survey of College bike commuters to gauge their perceptions before and after the sharrows are installed. Do people feel like the sharrows make them feel more comfortable? Do drivers give you more room? Or are they just confusing?
I'll give the transportation staff for trying something new - it might not be ideal and it may evolve into something better, but given the circumstances they're on the right track.
Comments
Ben
Exciting
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 07:54I'll ride to work on that route today! Looking good.
Martin Reis (not verified)
New?
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 09:21A step in the right direction for sure. I ride this route almost daily so I will report back.
Not entirely new though, I think. Urban Repair Squad installed Rush Hour Bike Lanes
on Bloor, Queen and Dundas a few years back.
http://urbanrepairs.blogspot.com/2007/05/unofficial-bike-week-events-new...
dances_with_traffic (not verified)
What does that sign mean..
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 11:29cyclists must ride their bicycle into the back of those parked cars?
lol... sometimes i'm a jerk :)
SunnySide1
I am not a sharrow fan....
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 11:36Half of the time someone has parked on them, and they're not visible anyway. I also think car drivers aren't absolutely certain what they mean, so disregard them.
The one exception I can name is actually in Ajax. Monarch runs next to a soccer field, minivan parking all along the curbside - so just for that stretch the bike lane stops and instead sharrows were painted in the middle of the road next to the yellow line. Those, I love love love. I prefer them to the regular sharrows and the bike lane. They clearly say that I belong on the road, with the cars and there is nothing ambiguous about them.
hamish (not verified)
that part of College was to have bike lanes...
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 13:02The portion of College from Lansdowne to Brock, that are getting these sharrows, was supposed to have bike lanes, but there was a set of issues I guess eh?
Unfortunately, we seem unable to collectively insist on an upgrade elsewhere, or at least for an upgrade where a lot of cyclists would benefit - like filling in the missing four blocks of Harbord St. between Borden and Spadina - and with bike lanes - to make one somewhat more continuous facility where people now ride.
Yes, there are some changes being proposed for that part of Harbord in Ward 20, but the quality of what is possibly going to be done is inadequate compared with basic width, which involves political will to squeeze cars a bit in a commercial area.
Once again, we're not providing basics, where we need them eg. east-west in the older core.