Wider bike lanes and sharrows to help cyclists through intersections and to make it past the DVP highway turnoff have been installed this week on the Bloor Viaduct. Thanks to Michelle St. Amour of bikeSauce for providing some investigative photos. (bikeSauce is a DIY bike repair hub and community space at Queen and Broadview, and being eastenders likely have an interest in an improved Viaduct.)
A 2008 report by the Ward 29 advocacy group (as part of the bike union's ward advocacy program) were instrumental in identifying the issues with the viaduct for cyclists.
Staff have indicated that widening the bike lanes have required narrowing of the other lanes, but that this provides the added benefit of motor vehicles slowing down. There is studies that show narrower lanes reduce traffic speeds, increases traffic calming thus making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
For years cyclists had to put up with a pinch on the curve going eastbound before the Viaduct. Cars and trucks would almost always drift into the bike lane as they turned, leaving cyclists vulnerable. This small change has likely made a big difference:
[img_assist|nid=3988|title=Removing the pinch|desc=Photo: Michelle St. Amour|link=node|align=center|width=500|height=375]
At the east end of the Viaduct there is an offramp to the Don Valley Parkway. Cyclists were always forced to negotiate from the bike lane through cars turning off and end up two lanes to the left so they could continue on the Danforth. Even now with sharrows to help cyclists make those lane changes it is probably a struggle. The sharrows will help immeasurably to indicate to drivers and cyclists where cyclists will likely make those lane changes:
[img_assist|nid=3989|title=Sharrows to help change lanes|desc=Photo: Michelle St. Amour|link=node|align=center|width=500|height=375]
A big impetus for the City improving the Viaduct bike lanes was a result of the Ward 29 group's report that argued that improving the Viaduct as one of the prime concerns for cyclists in the Ward 29 area (which includes the Danforth). The Ward 29 group was instrumental in pushing for improvements in their ward as well as being a showcase for other ward groups under the bike union's umbrella ward advocacy program. This is a win, not just for the bike union, but for the local community!
Comments
SCR (not verified)
It's good
Fri, 06/18/2010 - 13:27I'm really pleased with the change. I'm not sure cars are going slower, but it's really helpful during the morning rush when all the action is in the bike lanes and cars are in a slow line west bound to Castlefrank. There's more room to pass and it just feels safer.
hamish (not verified)
the city knew for a decade...
Sat, 06/19/2010 - 10:39I think the changes are pretty wonderful as the Viaduct is a real gateway to the City.
However, the City did know for a decade at least of the issues of the eastbound travelling being less ok to dangerous, and knew of the solutions - so their collective inaction and indifference to cyclists is not just limited to the segment of Bloor in Yorkville between Church and Ave. Rd. that is a true travesty in this greenhouse century as they haven't considered bike safety really, and are wasting the needed space for the easy bike lanes - easy meaning not squeezing the car travel down to one lane in either way, the biggest hurdle the on-street parking being removed by merchant consent. And all councillors supported this mess.
It's only about 1.5 years since the Wellesley lane danger point/goof was made more apparent to the City - and it remains unfixed. They tried to blame the painting company, but it appears instead that they didn'tt measure the road correctly.
And maybe some decade we'll get to using some coloured paint eh?
Chelseagirl (not verified)
viaduct lane change
Sun, 06/20/2010 - 09:20Hmn, the pavement markings are an interesting solution, it still seems risky. To me, the best solution has always been to ride to the ramp exit, get off bike, proceed across street as pedestrian, then remount the bike. Annoying, yeah, but feels safer.
Jacob L.
I think DVP-bound motorists
Sun, 06/20/2010 - 12:17I think DVP-bound motorists should be required to yield to eastbound cyclists; at least there should be a clear sign indicating this requirement.
The Pedaller (not verified)
Big Improvement
Mon, 06/21/2010 - 08:51With an 18" expansion in width, plus a 12" buffer zone, plus the addition of all the sharrows & bike symbols I think that this is probably the most significant improvement to Toronto's bike network in well over a year!
Crossing the bridge has never been safer.
brian
Educational Observation
Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:18Hi all,
Riding westbound just after 9 am, I noticed an interesting phenomenon that I hadn't previously anticipated on a bike lane: cyclists riding abreast in the bike lane.
More than a few riders were taking complete advantage of the "extra width" now granted by the "new" lane markings, and passing each other with nil room to spare. It was terrifying to watch. And then came the hammerheads, two dudes on timetrial bikes, line-pacing each other in draft, using the buffer (which hasn't been striped yet) as a passing lane to zoom past us commuters and utilitarians at at least 35 km/h.
All of this indicates to me that a vast majority of users, at least for the three minutes that all 14 of us were on the Bloor Viaduct, don't understand rules of the road, etiquette, and basic safety. It occurred to me that this is yet another reminder that infrastructure isn't the solve-all solution, and that education is key to proper and safe use of any built form.
Roadies, racers, commuters, mtbrs, dirt jumpers, bmx'ers, and even tricyclists, e-bikers, and recumbent riders - we're all cyclists, and we all need to respect each other as much as we expect other road users to respect us.
Ride well,
Brian
hamish (not verified)
good fixes aren't everything
Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:37Thanks for riding the Viaduct, with its new exciting changes in differing times and with eyes and ears open Brian.
Yes, infrastructure will NOT solve all things - and I've gotten into the habit of trying to say "passing, left" as I go past someone, and I'm slower than I used to be, and appreciate when someone lets me know that they are passing, given swerve grates and potholes etc. etc.
A Viaduct cyclist inspired a term - "passhole" - it's not a pejorative for only four-wheelers....
westsidecyclist (not verified)
agree but i think the term
Mon, 06/21/2010 - 13:28agree but i think the term 'passhole' can be applied everywhere in TO.
sadly, cars are only part of what makes my daily commute more dangerous than it has to be. other cyclists who pass too close without letting you know they are coming; que jumpers at red lights who force other to pass them 10 feet after the intersection (if you are a slow biker or come to a full stop in high gear, why are you cutting in front of people and forcing them to put themselves in danger by passing you on the left?); cyclists who keep jumping the que at every red light although they have been passed every time; cyclists who ride the wrong way down the bike lane; etc. etc.
a lot of driver in this city are terrible drivers and infrastructure improvements will help only partly; cyclists have to got to start helping rather than hindering each other.
Larry (not verified)
Don Valley bike trail
Tue, 06/22/2010 - 10:24The markings are nice, but what I'd really like to see is improved access to the Don Valley bike trail just before the Broadview DVP onramp. It's practically invisible right now.
Dr. Loud (not verified)
Big Fat Bike Lane
Wed, 06/23/2010 - 10:14Love that bigger & better bike lane on the bridge! Now there is more room to pass slower cyclists so I don't have to switch into the vehicle lane. It seems to me that there are way more cyclists using the lane now - maybe it needs to bigger still?
Good on the city for making this happen!
Tom Flaherty
Men at Work
Thu, 06/24/2010 - 12:41Great post Herb, thanks.
For anyone interested, there are shots of the work in progress at www.29bikes.ca
Cheers - Tom