It was a bit of a shocker to find out that Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is getting cold feet on separated bike lanes for Sherbourne, thus potentially putting Toronto's first opportunity for better separation into jeopardy. It has come to my attention that Councillor Wong-Tam has filed a request for Sherbourne's separated bike lanes to be installed only in the North as a pilot for study and further community consultation.
It appears as if the Councillor is trying to stall the project with claims of "needs more community consultation" despite the fact that it has already gone through a completely open process with the community. Most of the residents and businesses who provided comments had said that they supported the bike lanes. There is such a thing as studying a thing to death.
By requesting it only be installed on the North end of Sherbourne, it appears Councillor Wong-Tam, is willing to give up on the improvements for the lower part which were to be coordinated with road repaving. Has Councillor Wong-Tam consulted with Councillor Pam McConnell whose ward covers the other half of Sherbourne? Given that Councillor McConnell supported the separated bike lanes I'd say she hasn't.
In the Winter issue of Dandyhorse, she was asked "How do you feel about having the first separated bike lane in Toronto installed in your ward?"
As excited as I am about having Toronto’s first separated bike lane, I also think that we need to proceed with caution. There are political forces that don’t support biking infrastructure and a planning misstep just gives them a new excuse to declare another fictitious “war on the car.”
At current, there are many new projects coming to Sherbourne that have not been properly addressed (or consulted) in the separated bike lane proposals yet: namely, the many new condo developments, the existing schools, churches and senior home drop-off and delivery areas. The residential community is also wondering what will happen to their local streets when those 159 street parking spaces are removed from Sherbourne. We should study Sherbourne more closely, create a measurable pilot project, invest in a high-quality street design and a comprehensive greening strategy before finalizing a capital infrastructure decision that will be costly to fix if we don’t get it right.
Why would Councillor Wong-Tam want a trial period? Perhaps she wants to defeat it? Either asking for a trial or for yet more consultation is a great way to get rid of a pesky project that you don't agree with. And what's this about a "comprehensive greening strategy"? We're talking about improving the bike lanes not about rebuilding the whole streetscape.
The current unseparated bike lanes have been in place for 16 years. What could we possibly learn with a trial period that we don't already know from all these years of already having bike lanes and from studying similar conversions in Ottawa or Vancouver? A trial period gives those opposed to it a second chance to oppose the separated lanes.
Councillor Wong-Tam feels there needs to be more consultation yet the idea for the lanes first arose at a Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee in January 2010 and has been at public meetings of PWIC over the last 2 years. The concept was reviewed and approved by Council in 2010. There was a public meeting in June 2011 at PWIC where permanent installation of the lanes was approved. Not one person appeared at that meeting and spoke in opposition to separated bicycle lanes on Sherbourne. Prior to the last election Councillor Pam McConnell announced her support of the Sherbourne separated bike lanes and she was re-elected.
The cost of putting in temporary measures would make the project’s final installation much more expensive. And it would make it more difficult to find the money to separate any more bicycle lanes such as Wellesley, about which Councillor Wong-Tam has also been less than supportive.
A few years ago Waterfront Toronto spent a millions dollars on a pilot project of separated bike lanes on Queens Quay. There is still nothing permanent (thought hopefully starting soon). If separated bikes lanes are considered such risky ideas, even on a street with 16 years of on street unseparated bicycle lanes that it needs a test period what are the chances to install any separated lanes in the city on streets that don’t currently have unseparated bicycle lanes like Richmond/Adelaide?
Furthermore the timing is such that the next election would interfere. If the pilot project was done in 2012 the decision to install and installation of the lanes permanently would be made in 2013 just before the next municipal election. And a politician doesn't want to make waves before an election.
Councillor Wong-Tam hasn't been all that enthusiastic about the Jarvis bike lanes for that matter. Although Councillor Wong-Tam is opposed to the reinstallation of the 5th car lane on Jarvis, she seems less interested in maintaining the Jarvis bicycle lanes. She has been quoted as saying that the Jarvis bike lanes were installed with inadequate "consultation".
I ask that the Bike Union take Councillor Wong-Tam to task. She seems to be more interested in what people will think when they will have to park on side streets instead of Sherbourne than about providing safer cycling for the rest of us.
Comments
GI Poo (not verified)
The Jarvis lanes will be
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 07:44The Jarvis lanes will be removed and the middle lane reinstalled as soon as the separated Sherbourne Lanes are installed. Some cycling advocates seem to be okay with that, but I'm not. I'd love to prevent Sherbourne from getting its lanes upgraded until the tit is removed from the tat.
I also don't think Sherbourne needs separated lanes. Repaint the lines on the road, and paint some new ones on some other roads.
C'mon Bike Union, take yourself to task. You seem more interested in playing nice with the mayor and Minnan-Wong to the benefit of ONE STREET than about providing safer cycling for the rest of us.
John Routh (not verified)
What we are seeing here is a
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 09:41What we are seeing here is a weakness in the structure of Toronto municipal politics. While a councillor may support a policy that affects the entire city, he or she may be forced to oppose it if it affects their ward in some way. I think that Wong-Tam is a strong supporter of cycling in Toronto but in this case she must pander to the local politics because it is the people who live in and around Sherbourne that elect her, not Torontonians in general. This is a sad fact that affects all municipal politicians. Even Jack Layton once opposed a homeless shelter that was proposed for his ward when he was a city councillor.
My advice would be to not oppose Wong-Tam specifically but to keep advocating for the separated bike lanes as good city policy and not to get embroiled in a local political spat.
the lemur (not verified)
I think what we're seeing is
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 11:14I think what we're seeing is probably KWT becoming wary of losing local support by appearing to proceed too rashly with lanes on Sherbourne, which is understandable, but it does look like caving to NIMFY pressure.
Antony (not verified)
KWT needs political cover.
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 14:50KWT needs political cover. The only way to support her is to get voter groups in her ward to publicly support a separated Sherbourne bike lane. Do you live in her ward?
I suspect this is a Cabbagetown vs. St. James Town issue.
Random cyclist (not verified)
Councillor Pam McConnell's
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 15:28Councillor Pam McConnell's ward includes the east side of Sherbourne Street and therefore 1/2 of Wong Tam's proposed pilot project is located outside of her ward.
Did Councillor Wong Tam consult Pam McConnell the elected representative of the citizens of Ward 28 before she announced her proposal for a pilot project?
An answer to this basic question would help everyone better assess Councillor Wong Tam's commitment to consultation.
Random cyclist (not verified)
The South Rosedale Residents
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 15:39The South Rosedale Residents Association, the Moore Park Residents Association, the ABC(Yorkville) Residents Association and the Bay Cloverhill Residents Association are all resident neighbourhood associations in Councillor Wong Tam's ward and all have publicly supported the Sherbourne Street physically separated bicycle lanes.
There is lots of support for the lanes in her own ward.
Seymore Bikes
The Bike Union's role in this
Sat, 02/25/2012 - 23:05The Bike Union's role in this predicament ought to be building community support, and the best way to do that is by developing the Ward Advocacy groups.
Random cyclist (not verified)
Last I heard Pam McConnell
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 17:45Last I heard Pam McConnell supports the lanes in her part of Sherbourne which is both sides south of Queen and the east side north of Queen.
Lance Bandit (not verified)
I don't think Sherbourne
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 03:34I don't think Sherbourne needs a separated bike lane either as much as it needs its road repaved and repainted. I think what this city needs is less of "improvements in cycling safer infrastructure" and more "cycling safer infrastructure". While I do like the idea of creating exclusive lanes made just for cyclists I think it is more important to establish a more solid network before thinking of said improvements.
Kaylee.I
It never ceases to amaze
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 06:01It never ceases to amaze people how much politics and delays there can be when it comes to putting in something that is vitally important like bike paths, bike racks, and other things that are necessary.
There is always going to be someone who is going to try to stall plans hand over first for new bike paths along the roads for whatever reason and people are right to be upset and concerned.
Random cyclist (not verified)
Sherbourne is in terrible
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 07:57Sherbourne is in terrible shape and needs to be reconstructed. Separated bicycle lanes are being installed as part of that reconstruction, because it is cheap and easy to do. That is the only reason.
A larger network is more important than bicycle lanes on any particular street but why let a once in 20 year opportunity go by to get physically separated bicycle lanes somewhere.
Richmond and Adelaide are far more important than Sherbourne and are now slated for permanent installation after an environmental assessment , no trial period.
Separated bicycle roads are as important to cyclist safety as separated sidewalks are to pedestrians. There are no trial periods for automobile roadways or sidewalks. It is understood they are needed and essential.
Anyone who suggests separated bicycle lanes should be installed on a trial or pilot basis doesn't believe cycling is a serious mode of transportation.
hamish (not verified)
The devil's in the details,
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 13:31The devil's in the details, and it's nice to have these perspectives offered up by folks, though it might help if there was more honesty in names vs. anonymouse.
Only Richmond/Adelaide truly make sense for the separated lanes because of their width, and unidirectional flows. Sherbourne might be ok, but why can't we explore doing a Montreal-style lane on one side or the other as Sherbourne tends to have rather long blocks,which can reduce the conflicts? Yes, all of it would have to be done at once.
And residents should h ave some sense of street ownership too, and it is a major change to go from some parking to no parking, and if Sherbourne had really high bike counts then maybe we could go whole hog, though it seems that the proposed reworking will allow for "usage" by the other types of mobility, for the parts that get done. For me, the stats indicate Bloor needs more cyclist protection, and there is a part of Bloor nearby between Sherbourne and Church that is in the Bike Plan, but nothing is done yet.
So there is a component of being ok with a simpler repaving as is, maybe with the bold use of colour in all of the bike lane as a good innovation for us, and redirect re$ource and goodwill of community and Councillor towards more of a network, which also includes fixing the terrible roads that go north on this route eg. Elm and Glen Road northbound.
As for the role of the Bike Union, again, you've got to be somewhat careful with what you wish for given all the politricks, as tiresome as that can be. By playing up sooo much to Mr. M-W and giving good headlines to the Fordkers by this separated quadrant in the core, not only was/is a large part of the cycling community not really accommodated but those not in favour of Mr. F* etc. couldn't help but get a bit negative about things, and sometimes some of us cyclists don't do ourselves any favours either. And as I've heard that communities in some of the other areas proposed for the separated lanes aren't keen on them, the Councillors do have some hotter potatoes on their hands - votorists lurk everywhere!!
And thus I suspect that the Res Assocs listed as being in favour of the Sherbourne lanes as suggested are truly keener on Jarvis going back in as five lanes vs. the Sherbourne folks and those north-south cyclists.
And given Mr.M- Wrong's role in axing Mr. Webster, (please view the latest Ford Follies in the Star), since there's terrible precedent being set in firing someone just for giving straight advice, the cyclists union should consider revoking his membership and sending a stiff letter that defends staff to say/recommend what they feel is best, as feeble as that can be at times.
And maybe an excellent ward to organize more in would be Mr. Wrong's as I've heard that Bayview is in terrible shape and is near-deadly.
Ms. Wong-Tam seems like a good councillor relatively speaking; and most all core councillors won't be quite as bike friendly as some of us would like. eg. Adam Vaughan and John, Bloor and Richmond, and Harbord, though he did chase after staff about Spadina last year...
herb
Under 15.5a of the January
Tue, 02/28/2012 - 21:57Under 15.5a of the January 2010 minutes of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee meeting we see this quote from Councillor McConnell supporting separated bike lanes on Sherbourne: