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Next Exit - Anything Better

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Fri, 06/15/2007 - 12:58 by darren

I took a detour this morning to stop in at the site of the ghost bike where a cyclist was fatally hit one week ago.

It's intersections like this, Bayview and the 401, that make it clear why so many people are stuck driving cars in this part of the city. Not many people have the courage or skills to ride a bike under the 401, with cars changing lanes, squeezing, accelerating and jockeying for first place on the on ramp. So many of the problems in the area become evident when you place yourself at one side of the 401, and try to figure out a good way to cycle to the other side.

Bayview and 401 area mapBayview and 401 area map

There are very few places to cross the 401 in this end of the city. I usually cross at Yonge, 2 km to the west, where there's a small pathway. The nearest crossing to the east is about 2.5 km, but you need to go at least .5 km south to cross a railroad track and cross a river in order to get to that path.

If you live at the densely populated Bayview and Sheppard, and work at Sunnybrook Hospital, you have very few realistic options. You either ride under the 401 with all the Bayview traffic, or don't ride a bike at all (and likely choose to drive a car).

Another physical boundary is the river valley near Lawrence and the Bridle Path neighbourhood. Lawrence ends just east of Bayview, so cyclists are forced onto Bayview to get to Post Road in the north, or to Sunnybrook in the south.

Bayview is a very busy street. Everyone with a car knows that Bayview is faster than Yonge, and sometimes faster than the 404, even though it's often backed up at every intersection. Cars and trucks go from 5 km/h to 80 km/h and back down to 5.

Bayview has a narrow curb lane. A cyclist depends on car drivers to pull well into the left lane to pass. This is usually ok, but pretty intimidating when the cars speed up.

There are all these problems, yet Bayview is the road cyclists choose to use. It's not because it's an attractive route. It's the only choice.

As I stood there this morning, looking at my map for 10 minutes trying to figure out an alternate route, I saw that if I didn't want to take an extra half hour to get to work, I'd have to take Bayview. So I waited for the cars to be held back by a red light and raced under the 401 before anyone caught up with me.

I've added a new section to our forum. It's a place for you to put what you think needs to be the priority project for bike infrastructure in your ward (or the ward you cycle through). Let's face it - the city is not going to implement everything in the whole city all at once. So make suggestions, start a discussion about what are the most critical connections or components needed in your part of the city.

Tags: 
suburbs
advocacy

Comments

Darren S (not verified)

Bayview

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 14:01

It is a hard intersection for cyclists and drivers to get along at because the drivers barely get along with one another there. It is poorly designed mixed with high speed. I spoke to a resident that virtually lives over the intersection. While he said that he felt accidents were no greater than most other comparable intersections there is a lot of near misses. I have spent a total of 20 minutes at the intersection in the last week, I have seen 4 near misses and screeching of tires (either trying to avoid or stop) at least ten times.

Andrew

highway crossings are divisive

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 14:25

Darren S, in our health and safety training at work we have reversed the idea of "near miss" and now report incidents as "near hits." Just one word has changed but it seems to evoke more respect for what nearly occurred.

Darren is right that there are few if any reasonable alternatives to cross the major 400 series highways around the GTA. One alternative is available in my area, but I would have to double my commute distance and ride on what have turned out to be busy arterials just outside of the suburbs.

In the past I have had to navigate Yonge & 407, Bathurst & 407 and I currently ride through 16th Ave. and 404. I haven't ridden Bayview & 401, but I can pretty much guess what it might be like based on other crossings.

I found the Bathurst & 407 crossing to be the "best" out of the bunch. Bathurst travels over 407 instead of under it. I don' t know why this makes a difference in perception.

Does anyone know what the current best practices are for designing these kinds of interchanges with bicycles in mind? What do other cities do special, if anything?

GMD (not verified)

Your post brings to mind the

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 14:04

Your post brings to mind the different abilities of cyclists. I (and I assume most of the readers to this blog) can handle Bayview or Finch and have found ways to deal with the major crossings (the freeways and railways mainly). I would like a place where my dad could feel comfortable cycling, which would mean some boulevard bikepaths on the suburban arterial roads and some special routing around the big crossings.

Darren S (not verified)

different abilities of cyclists

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 14:42

If you get rammed from behind it does not matter if you are an expert or beginner, it still hurts. There is so much going on for drivers at this interchange that it becomes probability that cyclists do/do not get hit. Something has to calm the intersection down before any technique the cyclist can apply would be useful.

The cyclist in this fatality, from what his friends have said, had a pretty solid understanding of a cyclist's place in traffic.

It would be interesting to see what types of near "hits" or non-fatal collisions that cyclists are involved in at this intersection.

Anonymous (not verified)

I use to live up by North

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 15:14

I use to live up by North York city hall and commute by bicycle to my workplace in Don Mills. The route I had worked out involved crossing the 401 at Bayview, not because it was the best interchange but because as soon as I got south of the 401 I had a really good route through residential streets for the remainder of the ride. Fifteen years ago, when I was doing this route, crossing under the 401 at Bayview was pretty hairy. I solved the problem by moving south of the 401. Now, with the greater volume of cars on the road, that crossing must be hell.

I'll find out for sure monday morning when I have to do the reverse route to go to the passport office. Again, because of the connecting routes, the Bayview/401 intersection makes for the most logical crossing point.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

vic

Highway crossings

Fri, 06/15/2007 - 15:14

I recently attended a join Burlington-Niagara-Hamilton cycling committee meeting. This topic came up for discussion.

One positive thing that has happened in Burlington (or is planned to happen, I can't remember) was with one of their QEW crossings. Instead of having a swooping on-ramp where motorists pick up speed before even turning off the road onto the ramp, they have re-designed it to have a much sharper right-turn so that motorists would have to slow right down before turning onto the ramp. This is just one way to make these interchanges more bike and pedestrian-friendly.

Also on this topic, people were quite frustrated with the MTO. Apparently highway crossings are MTO territory, so the local/municipal governments can't do much about making them safer. For example, the city can put in a bike lane approaching a highway, but the MTO can decide not to continue it over/under the highway.

CQ (not verified)

next exit - anything better

Sat, 06/16/2007 - 10:34

Just looking at the (yr 2000) map, I would give consideration to a bailey (footramp) bridge model - exactly like the one built over the QEW/service roads between Dixie & Cawthra roads, or the other one at the base of Roncesvalles Ave that stretches across the Gardiner at Parkdale. I would think that Bessarion Rd / Banatyne Drive might make for a reasonable pedestrian etc. route given the stubway stop on Bessarion.
I'll note however that 49-year old Applewood - QEW bridge's former iron railings used to have a pleasant colour of green. Now it unfortunately looks a bit prison yardish.

CQ (not verified)

Next - exit - 401 footbridge pt2

Sat, 06/16/2007 - 11:38

While this is being mentioned, Bessarion~401 footbridge, a companion twin-constructed paved pedestrian bridge may be useful near the base of Willowdale Avenue between Bayview & Yonge Street. There appears to be available parkette land on each side of the highway.

On a side issue, I would also like to see a another bridge, smaller in design, over the CN railway about midway between the 401 and Lawrence Ave, between Bentworth/Caledonia and the tiny path indicated at the end of Maple Leaf Dr. All three light traffic roads are marked as suggested bicycle routes. Generally, I am opposed to the encouragement of mainstream cycling upon major city roadways where alternate grid design road routing is present.

herb

Crossing the rivers of car lava

Sat, 06/16/2007 - 12:58

I believe I've heard a Willowdale crossing mentioned as part of the Bike Plan.

I will second the Bentworth bridge. Already there is a "community-created" street-level crossing between Bridgeland and Floral Parkway (which is actually just a residential road despite it's big sounding name).

And while we're at it, build an underpass under the 401 from Caledonia to Wilson Park blvd. Caledonia is an excellent N-S route IMHO and it would be good to be able to easily cross the 401 there.

If by major road you mean the 401 I agree, otherwise I believe it all depends on the situation and how good the cycling infrastructure is on the major road. Eglinton West, for instance, has a major bike path along a large stretch.

CQ (not verified)

I agree that the Eglinton

Sat, 06/16/2007 - 14:53

I agree that the Eglinton West path is great. In Toronto, I also enjoy, and prefer, cycling directly on most of the roads. It's merely an opinion, but I happen to disagree with some of the 'takeover the streets' inclined activism.

vic

Eglinton

Sat, 06/16/2007 - 16:06

The Eglinton Ave. pathway is OK. It has its ups and downs.

Ups:

  • Few intersections
  • Completely separated from motor vehicle traffic
  • More scenic than the road (except around the 427...crapola...)
  • Good paving (except around 427...)
  • At intersections, they have separated the pedestrian crossing from the bike crossing. I'm not sure if this actually means it's not a crosswalk, making it legal to cycle through according to the HTA?
  • When Eglinton is clogged up like an SUV driver's arteries, it's actually much faster on the pathway.

Downs:

  • The intersections still suck. Even on a green light you have to slow right down to proceed through, otherwise you might get smoked by turning cars that aren't paying attention
  • Some parts meander a bit too much and make cyclists do more twists, turns, and hills than the road does.
  • No winter maintenance, and even in the summer I come across crap scattered about.
  • The western end of it (427 and beyond) blows. Extremely rough, and really just a part of the sidewalk there.

It's certainly a hell of a lot better than the similar style pathway on Burhamthorpe Rd. in Mississauga though. :)

Andrew C (not verified)

A survey of crossings

Tue, 06/19/2007 - 10:14

I live at Avenue and Eglinton and work in Markham. It's 21km between my apartment and my office - a long commute, but doable. I can live with the lack of showers at work and cope with the hills, but the lack of decent routes made it untenable.

Unfortunately, of the all roads between the 404 and Avenue, Bayview is probably the best compromise in a north-south route. Side streets are totally unsuitable for a commute of that length because of the four way stops. At least one of those streets needs proper bike lanes. Bayview makes the most sense and there's plenty of room beside the road.

As for me, I'm going to get a cover for my folding bike and the the subway take me to Leslie/Shepard where I'll get on the trail and go almost all the way to work. Now I'll just have to watch out for early morning joggers and the occasional deer. Here are my thoughts about each highway crossing.

Avenue

Good - Crosses the 401 on a bridge, all off-ramps make T's with the road (i.e no fast off-ramps), some wide sections (eglinton to lawrence), lot's of side street alternates if the going gets tough
Bad - Road essentially stops at the 401 and it's not clear if there's a way to bike across the golf course to get over to yonge, lots of stop lights, parked cars, heavy and aggressive traffic, some narrow sections (eglinton to lawrence)

Yonge

Good - nothing
Bad - high-speed on and off ramps, very long tunnel section, very very big valley to the south, very very fast traffic between York Mills & Shepard

Bayview

Good - few stop lights, fairly consistent traffic speed (counter-flow), all off-ramps make T's with the road, no disappearing lanes northbound
Bad - fairly long underpass, traffic can be agressive, pavement very rough near curb, lane is neither narrow enough to force cars to change lanes, nor wide enough to have them pass comfortably.

Leslie

Good - few stop lights, connection to a trail at N.E. Corner of Leslie/Shepard that runs to Leslie/Steeles without a single at-grade crossing. From Steeles it is possible to get up to John St. in Markham mostly off-road
Bad - Everything. This is the worst of the bunch, high speed on and off ramps, curb lanes repeatedly disappear (requires lane changes in the underpass section), high speed traffic, aggressive drivers, road ends at Steeles

Betty Sutherland Trail

Good - it's a trail, quite scenic, meets above mentioned trail
Bad - it's a big detour. Trail runs from Leslie/Shepard to Don Mills/Duncan Mills. That's the better part of a city block in the wrong direction if you're not going northwestward.

Don Mills

Good - shared bike/bus/HOV/taxi lane, no 401 interchange
Bas - shared bike/bus/HOV/taxi lane also features, asshats alone in their cars driving very fast/aggressively in the empty lane, it's almost continuously uphill going north, road jogs westbound to become Leslie somewhere north of Steeles, not so many side streets to bail onto.

404

Good - nice wide paved shoulder, slow moving traffic, no stop lights
Bad - likely a hefty fine and a ride in a police car for your effort, high speed ramps

Yonge subway

Good - air conditioning, easy ride, connection to Shepard line will drop you off or pick you up at the north side of any of the aforementioned crappy intersections
Bad - no bikes between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm.

407 Crossings

Strangely, when I got to the 407 every single one of the crossings was better. There are no underpasses and often there's a narrow paved shoulder between the sidewalk and the curb lane.

darren

Yonge

Tue, 06/19/2007 - 11:35

Thanks for this extensive report.

Yonge actually has a path through a tunnel on the east side, although it's very unofficial, and looks a lot like a sidewalk. The best thing about it is that it lets you take Willowdale, which is an ideal cycling street.

I agree that the 407 crossing at Leslie is not bad, probably because the on and off ramps arrive at T's. The 407 and Bayview is not good at all.

I took part of the Betty Sutherland trail for the first time last week. It was a really nice route, but I had to go through a maze of residential streets to get to an entrance for it up near Finch.

-dj

herb

correction

Tue, 06/19/2007 - 12:43

You probably know this already, Andrew, but just to clarify: bikes are not allowed on transit between 6:30 - 9:30 am and between 3:30 - 6:30pm. So, as inconvenient as it is, one could still put a bike on the subway during the day.

And I think you mentioned that you are getting a cover for the folding bike so you can bring it on during the restricted times. Excellent idea!

I've taken the Avenue Rd crossing a few times and have been annoyed with the suburban route and trail. If it's a route that you could possibly take everyday then it would be very useful to reference the bike map which shows the trail through Earl Bales park, how to cross Sheppard, and shows a side trail that can bring you to Senlac or Yonge. It's not a completely direct route, but I don't think it would take too much more time.

DJ (not verified)

Just to correct you about

Mon, 07/30/2007 - 03:03

Just to correct you about the subway: the TTC doesn't allow bikes on any of their vehicles from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM and from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Monday to Friday. I don't know if buses with bike racks are excluded or not.

See http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/by_law1.htm.

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