Alan Heisey can't understand why some cycling activists are still hostile to separated bike lanes, given how common they are in other cities. So Heisey, who proposed separated bike lanes on Sherbourne Street at the City last year, provides us with an outline of some reasons why it is desirable to have a core network of continuous bicycle lanes separated from traffic in Toronto. I, however, think that Heisey has more to worry about the Mayor's opposition rather than some cyclists.
A. Torontonians Want Bicycle Lanes Separated from Traffic
A 2009 City of Toronto commissioned survey asked City residents if they wanted separated bicycle lanes on roads. 66% of all respondents most of whom would be motorists wanted separated bicycle lanes and 77% of commuting cyclists wanted bicycle lanes separated from traffic.B. Separated Bicycle Lanes Increase Pedestrian Safety
Separated bicycle lanes have been proven in New York City to significantly reduce serious pedestrian injuries on the streets they are installed in. See the New York Times in the last months on this issue. The evidence that bicycle lanes separated from traffic are safer for cyclists and pedestrians is irrefutable.In the Netherlands almost the entire network of bicycle roads is separated from traffic and the rates of injury and death for cyclists are lower than in Canada or North America even though most cyclists in the Netherlands don't wear helmets, which are ubiquitous in North America.
C. Encourage People who Are Afraid of Cycling Downtown to Ride Their Bicycles
This proposal is not for experienced cyclists it is for inexperienced cyclists who are too afraid to ride on our city streets, the vast majority of people in the City of Toronto. Even experienced cyclists feel differently when they have a small child on the back of their bicycle in not separated lanes. In London England a recent Transport for London study found that cycling is up 70 percent along routes where separated bike lanes were installed. 2010 figures from Montreal, which has a large network of separated bicycle lanes showed a 35-40% growth in bicycle ridership since 2008.D. Children will No Longer Have to ride Their Bicycles on Downtown Sidewalks
It is currently legal for bicycles with less than a 24 inch wheel to ride on the sidewalks downtown. The exemption is designed to permit children to ride legally on sidewalks. Once bicycle lanes are separated from traffic 8-12 year olds will be able to ride with their parents in safety on city streets and off of sidewalks.E. Most Major Cities Are Separating Bicycle Lanes from Traffic
Vancouver , Montreal and New York City all have extensive systems of separated bicycle lanes . Montreal leads the way in Canada with 78 kilometres of on-street separated bicycle lanes. Toronto has none. San Francisco installed its first separated bicycle lane on a public road in 2010. Separated on road bicycle lanes are common throughout European cities.F. The Bixi Bicycle Programme and Tourism
A network of separated bicycle lanes will support the investment the City of Toronto has made in the Bixi programme. In all other cities where Bixi has been introduced a network of separated bicycle lanes was created BEFORE the Bixi programme was launched. We got the cart before the horse. New tourists to our City will be more likely to use Bixi bicycles if they feel safe and they will feel safer with a network of separated bicycle lanes downtown.G. Bicycle Lanes are Continually Blocked by Illegally Parked Cars and Delivery Vehicles
Taxis are allowed to legally obstruct bicycle lanes stopping to pick up and drop off passengers. Canada Post is also legally allowed to obstruct bicycle lanes. The police will not effectively enforce illegal parking in bicycle lanes. There is only one way to prevent illegal parking in bicycle lanes it is to physically separate them with curbs or bollards so the lanes cannot be parked in. It is the only solution to illegal parking in bicycle lanes.H. Snow Removal in Bicycle Lanes
During winter, bicycle lanes are frequently blocked by snow. Councillor Denzil Minnan Wong is proposing that this network of bicycle lanes have snow removal.I. Passing Bicycles on Separated Lanes
The question of curbs or bollards has not been determined. If bollards are chosen the bollards would keep cars out of the lanes but let bicycles move around other cyclists. One of the proposals on the table is to put both of the lanes on one side of the street like in Montreal. This would permit cyclists to pass in the opposing lane of bicycle traffic. The proposal is for only 4 streets of the hundreds of streets downtown to have bicycle lanes separated from traffic. Those cyclists who want to be in car traffic will still have lots of roads to choose from. Those cyclists who want to have a route separated from traffic currently have no options whatsoever.
It makes sense to focus on a core, continuous network if we're going to start on improvements anywhere. No city, even in Europe, puts separated bike lanes on every street, but instead starts with some heavily trafficked areas. In New York City, for instance, the guideline is to only place them on streets with fewer intersections.
Comments
Ben
So what are the most
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 11:25So what are the most highly-trafficked streets? I would guess Wellesley and College, not Sherbourne.
Anyways, after my relatively short time being somewhat politically active with the bike lane issues, I've come to the conclusion that life is meaningless, and that whatever happens, happens. I've resolved just to be happy about it, since nothing I do will make a lick of difference anyways. So, if a separated bicycle lane goes in on Sherbourne, that's great! If a wayward finger cancels bike lanes on University, c'est la vie. Que sera, sera.
Alan Heisey (not verified)
The reason to separate
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 12:25The reason to separate Sherbourne is that the road is being reconstructed over the next 2-3 years so it is really cheap to do, so why not? There is also not an active retail strip or heavily used street parking on Sherbourne to create objections.
Of the other two streets you mention continuous Wellesley Harbord bicycle lanes separated from traffic all the way from Parliament to Ossington are proposed by Councillor Minnan Wong's network.
On College there are real problems with separating the bicycle lanes because of physical constraints and decisions made over the last 10-15 years.
Separated bicycle lanes on College Street are politically and financially impossible today.
College west of Spadina to Bathurst could have had separated bicycle lanes when it was rebuilt 10 plus years ago but the merchants won the day. Squeaky chain gets the grease. The parking is built in bays with landscaping in between necessitating reconstruction of the street to permit separated bicycle lanes and thereby making it impossible practically today.
It would have been easy to separate bicycle lanes on College before reconstruction to have created the lanes next to the curb with parking outside of the lanes but the cycling community wasnt able to mobilise then.
Secondly the Little Italy section of College with street cars is currently so narrow there is no way to provide separated bicycle lanes without loss of on street parking and significant revenue loss to the City. The restaurant nightclub businesses would fight separated bicycle lanes and the loss of parking tooth and nail.
Again this could have been addressed when the College Street car tracks were reconstructed in the last 2-3 years by the TTC.
The street car tracks could have been reduced from 2 tracks in both directions to one track in both directions with signals at either end of the narrow section of College.
Street cars wait their turn to proceed while the opposite direction street car goes the other way.
This is what they do in Holland and Germany in narrow stretches of road with street cars.
Street cars would wait their turn and a full lane of College in the narrow part could have been freed up for separated bicycle lanes.
We will have to wait another generation for the reconstruction of the College Street car tracks between Brunswick and Clinton for this opportunity to come again.
So that leaves Richmond or Adelaide as the only reasonable alternative for east west separated bicycle lanes south of Harbord Wellesley. Richmond separated bicycle lanes are also proposed by Councillor Minnan Wong.
I do not understand your cycnicism. We finally have a Chairman of the Council Committee which recommends where the bicycle lanes go, recommending that a network of continuous separated bicycle lanes be created downtown.
So yes for the first time what you do might make a big lick of difference.
The only thing that can possibly kill this network is the opposition of the downtown city councillors .
So we need to be sure that Councillors McConnell, Vaughan, Wong-Tam and Layton know that their communities want this network.
If they get on board the network is as good as done.
Alan Heisey
Clay the Suburban (not verified)
I think much of the
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 14:13I think much of the conflicted opinions on separated lanes comes from the width issue. Some people talk as if the separated lane will fit into the exisring 1.5 metre space. It will not. Separated lanes must use a much wider part of the road allowance. The people promising these lanes need to show they can get enough space for bikes to pass each other comfortably within the separated lane.The busier the lane, the more width it will require. Many of our painted bike lanes are a bit narrower than the 1.5m -2.0m needed. My concern is that the separated lanes may also end up too narrow to use comfortably. What is the minimum width being considered ? Show me you can get the width. Then I will show my support.
W. K. Lis
They still haven't plowed the
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 14:30They still haven't plowed the bicycle path along Eglinton Avenue West in Etobicoke. Don't think they will. Don't think they plan to with Rob Ford in the driver's seat, either, for this or any other bicycle path in winter.
Random cyclist (not verified)
The Martin Goodman east of
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 20:54The Martin Goodman east of Humber Bridge to Harbourfront is plowed this year.
Random cyclist (not verified)
The major problem with
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 17:55The major problem with separated bike lanes is still not addressed, and that's intersections. Right hooks and left hooks will be harder to avoid, and most of the clueless novices who were afraid to ride a bike before won't even know they should be concerned about avoiding them.
And careful before you quote the Dutch statistics. Yes, it's much safer to cycle there, but is that because of the bike lanes per se? Or is it because of the number of cyclists and the motorist attitude? In fact, there are studies showing that even in the Netherlands streets with separated bike lanes may be more dangerous to ride on than streets without cycling facilities at all -- and that intersections are still a danger zone that separation of bike lanes only makes worse, not better.
Kevin (not verified)
Intersections can be made
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 18:17Intersections can be made safe through the use of proper, Dutch-style intersection protections. This video shows how it is done:
http://www.youtube.com/user/markenlei#p/c/B271D0D935C03800/4/rBwMRGxtZ9k
Note how right-hook conflicts are completely eliminated. An example is shown in seconds 20-25, where the right-turning cyclist has a protective barrier between himself and cars throughout the entire turn.
Kevin Love
Kevin (not verified)
Alan wrote: "The police will
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 18:34Alan wrote:
"The police will not effectively enforce illegal parking in bicycle lanes."
Kevin's comment:
I've got a serious problem with police officers who refuse to uphold and enforce the law. Serious disciplinary action needs to be taken against them. If their behaviour does not change, then this discipline will culminate in the termination of their employment with the Toronto Police Service.
In this case, the law is quite clear. From:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90h08_e...
"Removal of vehicle, debris blocking traffic
134.1 (1) Where a police officer considers it reasonably necessary,
(a) to ensure orderly movement of traffic; or
(b) to prevent injury or damage to persons or property,
he or she may remove and store or order the removal and storage of a vehicle, cargo or debris that are directly or indirectly impeding or blocking the normal and reasonable movement of traffic on a highway and shall notify the owner of the vehicle of the location to which the vehicle was removed. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 20.
Costs of removal
(2) The costs and charges for the removal and storage of the vehicle, cargo or debris removed are a debt due by the owner, operator and driver of the vehicle, for which they are jointly and severally liable, and the debt may be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction and are a lien upon the vehicle, which may be enforced in the manner provided by the Repair and Storage Liens Act. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 20."
Cars parked in bicycle lanes are indeed "impeding or blocking" bicycle traffic and also posing a danger of injury to cyclists forced into the car traffic lane to go around them. My expectation is that serious disciplinary action will be taken against police officers who refuse to have them towed away.
Kevin Love
Lycra Rage (not verified)
Kevin writes "I've got a
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 21:28Kevin writes
"I've got a serious problem with police officers who refuse to uphold and enforce the law" but he also complains about police enforcing the law when cyclists receive tickets for running stop signs. An Anti-police attitude is not going to improve cycling and is not the topic of this thread.
Cyclists using bike lanes separated from traffic won't have to worry about cars blocking the lane. For that reason and many others it is worth supporting. The challenge is getting Councillors McConnell, Vaughan, Wong-Tam and Layton to endorse this plan in their ward.
jamesschwartz
Clay, you can do two-way bike
Wed, 02/02/2011 - 19:54Clay, you can do two-way bike lanes like they have in Montreal and Vancouver. This would solve the space issue. With only 1 lane of automobile traffic, we can have bi-directional protected bike lanes with plenty of room to pass. When more cyclists start using the bike lanes and they become congested, then we can look at making them wider. But for now, 1 car lane for 2 bike lanes and a curb is plenty.
W.K. Lis, they won't plow it until people start using it. The trail needs to connect better to existing bike routes. It ends at Jane and you're stuck riding along with speeding traffic to get anywhere. The Humber trail is fun for recreational, but not practical or efficient for commuting.
Random cyclist, right hooks are addressed with separated traffic signals for bicycles. It's pretty simple.
W. K. Lis
It becomes the "chicken or
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 11:05It becomes the "chicken or egg" scenario. Does the city plow only after people attempt to use it or plow it first so people can use it.
BTW. Found a site from Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage. I think Anchorage is in Alaska, unless there is another Anchorage somewhere. I think it is a little bit cooler in Anchorage than in Toronto, most of the time.
http://www.bicycleanchorage.org/wordpress/
.
jamesschwartz
W. K. Lis - I agree that it
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 19:11W. K. Lis - I agree that it sometimes is a chicken and egg scenario. I've used that argument myself plenty of times. But not with the Eglinton bike path.
People barely use the Eglinton bike path even when there isn't snow. That's the point I'm making. We need to better connect our existing routes, and then more people will use them in the spring/summer/fall and then it will be worthwhile to plow them in the winter.
Martin Goodman is plowed because a lot of people use that trail when there is no snow, so it makes sense to plow it. If nobody uses the Eglinton trail when there isn't snow, they aren't going to flock to it if we plow it in the winter. Trust me.
Dundas Rider (not verified)
I don't usually use bike
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 23:20I don't usually use bike lanes, because there aren't any between my home and my work. However, last summer I had to work in Mississauga for two weeks thanks to Mr. Harper's party downtown, and I used the Eglington trail. It was a pleasant surprise - though the late afternoon mix of 'racers' and Bmx'ers was a bit odd.
dances_with_traffic (not verified)
Do something about
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 00:54Do something about sherbourne, a lot of the bicycle "lane" sections are made too narrow with people's shitty parking jobs that you have to ride in the traffic lane since it is not safe to ride in the door zone.
Also, something about lower sherbourne contruction would be nice... how does one get from the martin goodman/queens quay to the sherbourne lanes without doing something illegal?
Ed
The street car tracks could
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 11:18Well, the narrow and busy section of College is essentially from Grace to Ossington or Dovercourt.
Proposing to neck down a streecar line with headways of four minutes or less in rush hour, over a distance of many blocks, to accomodate i) bicycle lanes and ii) car parking is on the face of it is a losing proposition that has no chance of being implemented even if it would "work".
But the proposal won't WORK anyway, because while the streetcars are now using a single pair of tracks.....where do the cars drive? Hint: not on the streetcar tracks! Unless you want to be surprised by a streetcar coming the other way right at you, half the time....
The only way you'll get a full, adequately-wide, separated bicycle lane on the narrow section of College is to remove parking on both sides, and/or making College one-way for cars and streetcars. Good luck with that.
Jacob L.
In my opinion, an important
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 12:41In my opinion, an important drawback with physically separated bike lanes is that motorists would expect ALL cyclists to exclusively travel in them. While physically separated bike lanes may make it safer for some cyclists, it is an inconvenience for the more fearless cyclist, as they no longer have full access to any part of the road (to make a left, right, or pass other road users, etc.)
I support physically separated bike lanes on any street where needed. But we need to make it clear to motorists that not all cyclists will use the facilities.
It shouldn't be mandatory for cyclists to use a bike lane where present. Bike lanes are simply an option for cyclists not comfortable riding in mixed traffic.
Seymore Bikes
You know the saying, "Looking
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 22:18You know the saying, "Looking a Gift Horse In the Mouth"? Well, this is common infrastructure in many cities, so what's the big deal?
Snow removal, lane widths, being relegated to their confines; how about a wait to see approach to what could be the most significant expansion of cycling infrastructure in decades?
Random cyclist (not verified)
This one’s another one that
Fri, 02/04/2011 - 12:34This one’s another one that will result in long term discussions. I personally prefer separate bike lanes keeping in mind safety issues. australia online casino free pokies online
Random cyclist (not verified)
Using bollards to separate
Thu, 02/17/2011 - 11:09Using bollards to separate the bike lanes is a great idea. They will ensure safety for the bicyclists. It sounds simple to me. There are many different kinds. You should check out my employer's site, McGraw-Hill, to see them all.