Tomorrow City staff will give an update on planning for separated bike lanes on Wellesley. Councillor McConnell (who has been presumably consulting with other councillors along the Wellesley - Harbord route) has sent a proposal to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee requesting that the planning for Wellesley be extended to St. George, as a sensible place for the first phase of separated bike lanes to end.
Unluckily, she has proposed that there be a separate consultation processes for each section of the proposed separated bike lanes. The lanes would pass through wards 20, 27 and 28, thus there would be three consultation processes if I'm reading her correctly. Adopting this proposal would mean that to finish the separated bike lanes from Parliament to Ossington would require five separated consultation processes! That means one consultation for every kilometre of the 5 kilometre route. That's just crazy.
And if the separated bike lanes weren't approved in each and every ward, we would end up with a patchwork. Imagine travelling along some nice separated bike lanes and then abruptly going back to regular bike lanes or even no bike lanes at all. Then travel a few blocks more and they start up again. You don't have to imagine that hard since that's how Toronto currently pretends to have cycling infrastructure, by only building where politically expedient.
This is why bike lanes have not been completed in this city.
Not only would it provide for an onerous process, it would be expensive, repetitive and it would divide us. You'd think that each ward was a separate country and not actually just a political boundary for a city councillor. Why don't we install border guards while we're at it?
I propose something else: let's just get on with it. We're a city with substandard cycling infrastructure, even for North America. We currently have zero continuous east-west separated bike lanes while cities like New York, Vancouver and Montreal are zooming past us. We have large patches of Toronto with next to no cycling infrastructure, even downtown (just look at our poor Bike Score). I propose that we have one joint ward consultation process. That consultation process was good enough for Sherbourne Street, which involved 2 separate wards so why not on Wellesley?
While I like Councillor McConnell's proposal for pushing on to St. George in this first phase, I am very disappointed in the consultation proposal.
Comments
JohnfromTO (not verified)
I hear you, Herb. But like
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 09:46I hear you, Herb. But like many activists, you may not understand that "just get on with it" may mean different things to different people. Authoritarian approaches should be avoided, especially when our authorities are not exactly trustworthy.
For example, I suspect that the PWIC chairman believes separated bike lanes are mainly a way of getting bikes out of the way of cars. If such a principle guides various design choices, you may find that slow implementation turns out to be the least of your disappointments with the new lanes.
Why not use these consultations as an opportunity to seek broad public approval for the principle that separated bike lanes are to be designed as cycling infrastructure, and that downtown streets should be willing to trade off some car priority in order to create a safe and efficient transportation alternative?
herb
So you, JohnfromTO, would
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 14:28So you, JohnfromTO, would equate my requesting one consultation with an "authoritarian approach"? That's going too far. Given the power that individual councillors have over their own ward there is no way you can make a simple black and white out of this.
There is broad consensus that Torontonians want to make streets safer and easier to use, even for cyclists. We know from studies that separated bike lanes both make streets safer and more comfortable for cyclists and pedestrians. Let's not get bogged down in nitpicky local politics where the loudest property owner has the biggest sway. I challenge councillors to have a vision beyond their ward.
JohngtomTO (not verified)
No, Herb, I don't equate
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 17:44No, Herb, I don't equate anything you say with an authoritarian approach, because you are not the one with authority. Denzil Minnan-Wong does have authority, and he has proven himself to be no friend of cyclists. If you empower DMW to plow ahead on the principle of "Just get on with it," he may proceed in ways you may not approve of. For example, how would you feel if every possible car/bike conflict (eg: every intersection, every driveway, parking, etc.) was resolved in ways that prioritized cars over bikes? You don't think this is possible?
Just because a proper separated bike network is perfectly defined in your mind does not mean it is similarly defined in the minds of people like DMW. There are plenty of ways he could use this process to make things worse for cyclists. You should treat all available consultations as opportunities to build support for the vision you prefer, and not assume that your preferred vision is the one poised to be implemented once staffers get off their asses.
A Separatist (not verified)
Please identify who has been
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 18:33Please identify who has been a friend to cyclists in prior Toronto City Councils?
In the last year of Mayor Miller's second term the best he could come up with was a proposed "trial period" for separated bicycle lanes in the centre lane of a 6 lane highway ... University Avenue.
The Miller administration was so disinterested in this trial period separated bicycle lane they couldn't even get it passed by City Council, a Council Miller controlled, (unlike now powerless Mayor Ford).
When David waved good bye there was not one metre of on street separated bicycle lanes in all of Toronto.
Separated bicycle lanes for Sherbourne will be installed this year from Front Street to Bloor Street.
The process to install separated bicycle lanes is well started on Wellesley Harbord Hoskins to Ossington.
Finally an Environmental Assessment is to start this fall for the installation of separated bicycle lanes on Richmond/Adelaide, no trial period.
This has all happened under DMW after the election of Rob Ford.
DMW has now proposed separated bicycle lanes on Yonge and Bay.
Sometimes the people who you think are against you, are really your friends... and vice versa.
And sometimes conservatives can be pro bicycle infrastructure Boris Johnson in London England, Mayor Bloomberg in New York and maybe..... Denzil Minnan Wong.
Seymore Bikes
Politicians are for the most
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 23:08Politicians are for the most part, activated by prevailing public policy (or their perception of it).
Change public policy to support cycling and change follows.
Cycling advocacy in Toronto is still waking up to this reality.
anthony
I was at the PWIC meeting for
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 09:26I was at the PWIC meeting for the bikey related items, but I did not make a deputation this time.
While City Council still has yet to approve this, yesterday the PWIC approved widening the scope of the separated bikes lanes on Wellesley/Harbord from St George in the east to Parliament in the west. The initial plan was from Queen's Park to Sherbourne. This extension was done at the local councillor's request.
On street Separated bike lanes are very new to Toronto, and we are only just starting to learn how to do it. One thing that has been learned so far from the process on Sherbourne is that consultation is critical, so much so that each property owner is mailed a letter and has an opportunity to speak one-on-one with cycling staff at the city and are invited to bring up their specific concerns and property impacts with staff. This gives staff an opportunity to mitigate impacts and/or accommodate specific needs in the design. This consultation process is very thorough, but it is not fast nor expedient. But this slow consultation process does mean that most, if not all, of the issues that would cause significant objections are addressed to the best of staff's ability.
But please appreciate that this is not bad news. The local councillor felt that there was more than enough broad support for separated bike lanes in the area, and had enough confidence in the inclusive consultation process, that the councillor felt comfortable pressing for for a slightly more ambitious scope. That alone is great news. It is also good news that PWIC allowed the scope to become broader than the original vision. Also, that we are riding, letting our councillors know that we ride, and that we are coming out and supporting these types of projects is also really good news as it gives councillors the confidence to try for a little bit more, to push the boundaries a bit harder, each time.
Also at PWIC: Trails. Trails. Trails.
How we love our trails. And how we love our green-spaces in the city.And how we worry when we put a new trail into a green-space. Hydro corridors are technically private property of Hydro One (formerly Ontario Hydro) local residents use the property as a local park without realizing that they are trespassing. When trails are built through Hydro Corridors, the city enters into arrangements with Hydro One that allows our community access to the lands. But please don't tell the current the current users that they are trespassers.
But beyond that, the current users of these corridors are nervous about what kind of strange people these so-called "cyclists" are who will suddenly come into their quiet neighbourhoods on these new trail once they are built. What they don't realize is that these are not strange people, but their own neighbours who will be the primary users of these trails, it will be their own neighbours who will be riding the bicycles on these trails, and not weird strangers who are labelling themselves as "cyclists". Most people don't ride very far very often, mostly because of time issues in our lives, and partly because of the effort involved. Yes, a few people do ride daily 30km commutes each way, but only a very few. Most rides are 10km or less each way. On any given segment the majority of people using a trail will come from either from the immediate community,or the immediate surrounding communities. Traffic Network theory, as well as real and practical limitations on our lives, dictate that there is an approximate 80%/20% local/remote usage split. Or, four out of every five people you'll see riding a bike on a trail will be your neighbours (living within a 5 mile radius), and only one in five will have come from farther away.
In addition, some of the previous biggest opponents to new "bike trails" (multi-use paths) before they were built have become some of the biggest users and supporters. People who will never have seen themselves riding a bike as an adult now find themselves riding on the weekends and/or evenings with their kids and/or grandchildren on the trails they once opposed. These people are not "cyclists," but rather are people who have discovered the joys of riding a bike every once in a while. The bike is merely the means of enjoying the local green-spaces. As a person who could easily be labelled as a "cyclist," it is exactly this opportunity, the simple experience of being able to ride a bike while discovering those parts of our own communities and neighbourhoods which we enjoy, this is what I wish to bring to ALL of the people of Toronto; it is not my ambition to turn everyone into a "cyclist".
The public consultation process is a great place to mitigate the fears described above, and to sell the many wonderful benefits. If you live near any of the newly proposed trails. Please be sure to go to the consultation and do speak up -- especially if there is fierce opposition. Make sure that they also hear from the neighbours who do want these trails built, and explain why you want the trail. Speak honestly, and simply. Also write a very short note to your councillor saying that you support the new trails in your area, As I live down by the lake, I doubt I will make it to any of the meetings, and in most cases, I'm not a neighbour to where the new trails are going; nor will I be a frequent user of most of new trails for simple logistic reasons.
You can read all about the objections to the new trails at
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/cityhall/article/1357554--off-road-bike-trails-a-concern-in-willowdale-neighbourhood
simplicius2wheels
Good observations on the the
Thu, 05/17/2012 - 22:07Good observations on the the hydro trails, Anthony.Here is the feedback I gave in February about the Kennedy to Middlefield section:
anthony
Indeed, simplicius2wheels,
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 01:17Indeed, simplicius2wheels, more could be done on the promotion side. You could pick up some bike maps and distribute them to the teachers at your kid's school, or place them in neighbourhood rec centres (if they are not yet there).
As these segments get linked, the ability to ride to useful places without having to ride on the road as much (or at all) becomes a better reality. Very soon I'll be able to ride from my home in Mimico to the Ontario Science Centre or even the Toronto Zoo entirely on trails! Or, you could ride to Mimico using only trails from where you live. This increasing usefulness of the trail network will also feed more word-of-mouth promotion as well.
And, have you helped you neighbour dust off the bike they have their garage, filled their tires with air, and taken them on a tour of the new hydro trail? This is the neighbour that only seems to drive and only gets news on TV and would not otherwise receive the city's promotional efforts. I used to have more neighbours like the one I just described, but after I took them out on a bike ride with me, they discovered that they really like riding the local trails by themselves after work or on the weekends. They may still never ride on the road, nor would they allow themselves to be labelled as a "cyclist", but they feel closer a bit closer to understanding me when they pull out their own bike to do that weekly ride on the trail. Sometimes the "promotion" is best done one-on-one.
Brandon
I can't imagine biking on a
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 03:57I can't imagine biking on a bike lane and then all of the sudden there is nothing. I hope they take these things into consideration. It makes no sense at all for them not to. Please keep us updated.
Patchwork tram lanes really does not do anyone any good and if officials think they are pulling something over on people then they are not so bright.