“Eventually you have to make some investments in cycling infrastructure and you can’t wait until there’s so many people demanding cycling. You have to take a lead in it and that way you’ll induce more people to cycle when they think it’s safer.”
-- Brandin O'Connor, Osgoode student, at the Wellesley-Hoskin first open house
The second public meeting for the Wellesley-Hoskin cycle track / separated bike lane project is coming up on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, at Seeley Hall, Trinity College, 6 Hoskin Avenue. It's just west of Queens Park circle (apropos since it's one of the difficult and confusing areas to navigate).
Much of the criticism on Wellesley falls into the nitpicky category; we can easily lose track of the bigger picture. There are a number of good reasons why Wellesley-Hoskin is our best, realistic option for separated bike lanes. Let's debate the whole package. I do hope our councillors "take a lead" in building better bicycle infrastructure instead of their myopic "my ward is doing its own thing" view. Roads were never approved or debated on a ward-by-ward basis, it's not clear why, other than historical accident, that we do it with bike lanes.
Why Wellesley is the best choice for separated bike lanes:
- There are no alternatives. Bloor is politically unattainable for the foreseeable and would only be possible then in short sections with pro-cycling councillors and retail owners. Mayor Miller only gave us a study of Bloor, nothing more. Councillor Wong-Tam for all her opposition, has suggested no alternative route.
- It is linked to quite a few bike lanes. It helps improve the network.
- It's long. From Parliament to Ossington if we get our way.
- Queen's Park intersections are barriers. The intersection is dangerous on the west side of the park. Going eastbound from Wellesley to Hoskin is confusing. In fact there is no obvious route other than through the park where bikes are not technically allowed.
- Wellesley-Hoskin is what's on the table. Even if there was a better option, if we don't approve this, there will be no other proposals for some time.
- It will fill in the Harbord gap This plan will help us complete the route. Staff promised to fill it in 2010 but didn't deliver.
- There is limited retail and limited parking. Makes it much easier to remove remaining.
- There are no streetcar tracks. All the other long east-west streets around there, other than Bloor have streetcars and have little room for bike lane as is.
- Goes through the university. Lots of students cycle.
- Removing left turn lanes makes the street safer for everyone. If they remove left turn lanes to install the cycle tracks, the street will be safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers.
- Removes the dangerous door zone. By removing parked cars we'll have fewer injuries and deaths from drivers opening car doors into cyclists paths.
- Cycle Toronto is fully behind it. Cyclists need to squeeze benefits regardless of the politician. It's not like the progressive politicians got us a whole lot. We hear pro-cycling talk from downtown politicians but little action.
- The Bike Plan is dead. The Bike Plan was a political document and it expired last year. We need to do what is politically feasible.
- Cycle tracks are popular. They encourage many more people to cycle more regularly.
- Cycle tracks are safer. Studies in Vancouver, Montreal and New York are showing that cycle tracks are safer.
- The bike lane widths can increase. Most will become much wider than our typical painted bike lanes, with no interference from car doors.
Wellesley, unfortunately, may end up being one of the easier. But getting it means getting cycle tracks on streets like Bloor Street much more likely.
So let's build it already. (But first go to the September open house).
Comments
W. K. Lis
The problem is that the Chair
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 15:35The problem is that the Chair of the Public Works Department,which includes roads, bicycle paths, etc., is Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who still needs training wheels on his bicycle. Don't expect much from him.
Vincent de Tour...
Minnan-Wong fully supports
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 13:42Minnan-Wong fully supports this plan as chair of PWIC, this would likely not be happening if not. He should be credited for that. The only councilor not yet fully supporting it is Krystyn Wong-Tam. She's concerned about the loss of a few parking spaces and left turns. Write her, especially if you live in her Ward, 27. Let her know her opposition will be costly…
Simple Math (not verified)
The main cycling map on the
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 17:30The main cycling map on the City website has a route through Queen's Park labelled as minor multi-use. Would this not be legal to bike on?
A Separatist (not verified)
No it is not legal to ride
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 19:32No it is not legal to ride through queens park.
Better to legalize a separated lane around the park and improve the intersection of Hoskins and University Avenue which is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists as currently configured
On Minnan Wong
Most adults in this City are afraid of riding on City streets.
Just like Minnan Wong.
Instead of being contemptuous of his inability to ride we should embrace his willingness to try cycling in his late 40's.
He may be wrong on Jarvis but
Minnan Wong is the only reason there is any proposal for separated Wellesley Hoskins bicycle lanes .
Ask yourself why the gap in the Harbord unseparated bicycle lanes has persisted for over 15 years while the neighbourhood was represented by Dan Leckie , Olivia Chow and most recently Adam
Vaughan , all avowed cycling advocates , has never been closed?
It has nothing to do with right wing suburbanites.
Kevin (not verified)
"Going eastbound from
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 21:34"Going eastbound from Wellesley to Hoskin is confusing"
This sentence is itself confusing. :)
I presume that you really mean going westbound from Wellesley to Hoskin. I generally go straight through, under Queen's Park, and turn right to go through Soldier's Tower and out to Hoskin.
If, on the other hand, you meant going eastbound from Hoskin to Wellesley, I stay on the left going from Hoskin to Queen's Park, and exercise lane control in the left lane on Queen's Park and in the left turn lane until I get to Wellesley.
Kevin Love
the lemur (not verified)
It is not illegal to ride
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 09:23It is not illegal to ride through Queens Park - that is, it is not signposted as being prohibited to cyclists. If the intention is to link Hoskin and Wellesley, the best option might be a left-hand bike lane on Queen's Park Cres W to eastbound Wellesley and a separated bike path from Wellesley along the west side of Queen's Park itself up to the Hoskin intersection.
A Separatist (not verified)
Lemur your solution is the
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 10:03Lemur your solution is the one endorsed by the Cycle Toronto ward advocacy groups for wards 19, 20, 27 and 28.
Please advise city staff and councillors Wong Tam and Vaughan if you support Lemur's idea
Ed
Removing left turn lanes
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 09:28Please explain. I don't see this. If anything, left turn lanes make traffic more predictable. No left turn lanes means some drivers will try to squeeze around to the right of a car waiting to turn left. And the bike lane isn't separated through the intersection.
W. K. Lis
St. Clair Avenue West had no
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 09:51St. Clair Avenue West had no left turn lanes before the reconstruction of the new streetcar right-of-way. The old, old right-of-way never had left turn lanes. When built the new right-of-way, they had to add left-turn (and U-turn) lanes after motorist and NIMBY complaints. That resulted in a reduction of sidewalk space and left no space for bicycle lanes.
A Separatist (not verified)
The Wellesley Hoskins process
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 10:54The Wellesley Hoskins process is about getting separated bicycle lanes lanes and space for cyclists.
St Clair was a process about separating street car tracks, where cycling wasnt on the radar with a very vibrant retail strip adjacent to car dominated single family residential neighbourhoods.
Cycling lost on every level on St Clair.
None of these issues are present in the Wellesley exercise.
The ward politics on St Clair are far different than on Wellesley Harbord.
The cycling constituency is far larger in Ward 20 and 27 that in Joe Mihevc's ward on St Clair.
Cycling has a far larger modal split on Wellesley Harbord than on St Clair.
Councillor Wong Tam is a committed cyclist.
The way to prevent a similar outcome to St Clair is for cyclists to be more numerous, present and more vocal than the automobile/ retailer constituency which they are on the ground.
If you want to help show up tomorrow night at the Ward 27 cycle toronto advocacy group meeting local ward 27 neighbourhood associations.
At the 519 Community Centre at 519 Church Street Room 201 at 630 pm on Tuesday August 28 , 2012.
Come out and support safer cycling infrastructure downtown.
Seymore Bikes
It is time to build these
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 16:10It is time to build these lanes and dispense with the dithering of city politicos.
Too many people worried about getting it wrong, when every city around the world is already proving that to be speculative paranoia.
PS - Councillor Wong-Tam may a "committed cyclist", but is she is also a Politician - and that spoke winds both ways (no pun intended).
hamish (not verified)
If the Bike Plan is dead,
Wed, 09/05/2012 - 09:28If the Bike Plan is dead, then take a bow Cyclists Union. The urge for making a difference in a more politically hostile climate meant pushing forward the separated bike lanes in a little square in the core - putting eggs in one basket - while ignoring all on-road things elsewhere in the City.
It's not that the Bike Plan was a great Thing anyways as it was watered down eg. foregoing Bloor, though one small part of it - from Sherbourne to Church - was to have bike lanes, and it would only cost maybe $20,000 to put them in vs. how much for these major rebuilds on roads that are often too narrow in comparison with say NYC?
If Bloor is dead, why are there cyclists on it? And surely there is a need for it still, as the mesh density of east of Yonge bike lanes shows a consistent pattern, except for Bloor. The west end is due to be rebuilt next year - a great opportunity for doing it right, and surely we should be sure we have a working grid in place in all of Toronto ahead of a gold-plated pair of routes that are NOT the busiest places.
And don't completely blame the "progressives" for not filling in the Harbord gap - it was the CU as much as anybody that was OK with the compromise. If it weren't for the fact that the CU/Cycling Toronto squawked when the City of Toronto was given an award for cycling by the Share the Ravine Coalition, I'd still not be a member because at times your priorities are quite skewed, and with bad result eg. did the push for Jarvis bike lanes help get Ford elected?.
Spokey (not verified)
@ hamish The current gang at
Wed, 09/05/2012 - 15:12@ hamish
The current gang at city hall moved on the initiative for separated lanes, with nothing apparently sacrificed. They work elsewhere, and cycling advocates, for the most part worked along that rationale, supporting the plan.
Bloor has been forever regarded as unrealistic (unless you can move blocks of buildings, sway a dozen BIAs & Councillors and convince the city to fund it).
Yes, Bloor W is a heavy corridor for bikes - it always has been, but it is not an unrealized bike lane because people gave their time and energy to other more viable projects.
herb
@ Hamish. +1 to Spokey's
Fri, 09/07/2012 - 10:10@ Hamish. +1 to Spokey's comments.
Hamish, you yourself have been promoting Bloor St. partly because you must have seen it as more politically feasible than alternatives. As you know there are also many cyclists on Queen, Dundas and King but you don't mention them. I assume it's because you know they're even less politically feasible than Bloor.
Bloor's not "dead" (nor did anyone claim that), but it's not going to be politically feasible anytime soon to have bike lanes stretch as long as the Wellesley-Hoskin-Hopkins route. There are more obstacles to overcome: councillors, BIAs, residents. If anything, attaining a truly separated bike route from Ossington to Parliament on Wellesley-Hoskin-Harbord will make it easier to push politically for Bloor afterwards.
David Juliusson (not verified)
When he was chair of the City
Fri, 09/07/2012 - 16:15When he was chair of the City Cycling Committee, Councillor Heaps had a philosophy. Get in what lanes could be put in politically. He knew it would lead to a patchwork and huge gaps in the city infrastructure, but hoped that political pressure could be brought to bear and the gaps would fill themselves in. It was imperfect, but we got some lanes out of it.
In that context we need to keep Bloor St option around, but know that it is not going to happen in the foreseeable future. What can be done? The Wellsley Hopkins route can be accomplished. I agree it is not ideal but it can be done. Lets do it.
Ben
Is anyone else not sold on
Thu, 09/13/2012 - 09:03Is anyone else not sold on Herb's list? The Harbord lanes are great already; for such a big change, and on a street that was so recently resurfaced, you'd hope for better items in the pros list. We've also totally ignored any cons list. E.g.
To be fair I'll throw another onto the pros list: I think it will make the street nicer for pedestrians.
Joe Byer (not verified)
I'd also love to know how
Mon, 09/17/2012 - 19:50I'd also love to know how these lanes - separated by a raised bump and those sticky-uppy bright orange things - will be plowed in the winter. I'm guessing "hardly" or "not at all".
As a competent cyclist I commute on this route all winter (I take a wider detour usually in nice weather, also to avoid the fair-weather riders) so will I be shoved into car traffic to avoid the build up of snow and ice? Any reference I saw to "Design Considerations" in the proposal took into account delivery and emergency vehicles, but no mention of winter maintenance.
But I guess that I, as one of the "1%" competent cyclists in this city, shouldn't count on using this new standard of infrastructure? Which begs the question: why should we be catering just to "incompetent" cyclists? Shouldn't we be encouraging strong riding skills thru education?
anthony
As this is intended as
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 13:32As this is intended as transportation infrastructure, the city has committed to clearing the snow in these separated bike lanes. The bigger question is the priority it will receive. Will it be cleared first, and regularly, or will it get cleared after everything else? Will the slush that cars, trucks and busses splash into these bike lanes be allowed to accumulate, or will there be regular removal of any slush that gets splashed into these bike lanes?
As for your question about why we don't encourage stronger cycling skills, there is nothing inherent about these lanes that prevents anyone from becoming more skilled. That these separated lanes encourages more people to try cycling is the win here. That kids now have safer routes to school, and will have more confidence to try riding to school is a win here. That parents/grandparents worry less when their kids/grandchildren ride is a win here.
Cycling education is important. Currently, cycling education is difficult to find and is expensive. The city offers limited CAN-BIKE programs. Few even know of it, and fewer still have taken it. I was once a CAN-BIKE instructor, and both my kids have taken the kids CAN-BIKE program. However, they are the only ones who have done so in their school and peer-group. There is a cost, both in dollars and in time, required to take this program and that makes it difficult for many people. The provincial coroner has called on our schools to teach kids real world cycling skills for riding on our streets, and this is probably the best answer. However, in-school cycling instruction is not something that will be likely to be rolled out in the next 2 years. Hopefully we have YOUR support for in-school cycling instruction.
Separated bike lanes are not "catering to incompetent cyclists" anymore than crosswalks are are catering to "incompetent walkers" -- both improves safety and comfort. You are always welcome to use it, or not, as you see fit.
Ron (not verified)
I was at the open house and
Fri, 09/14/2012 - 13:39I was at the open house and Councillor Minnan-Wong was there but few people talked with him. He is the motivating force for the separated lanes project but is also dead set against retaining the lanes on Jarvis. I'm happy with the lanes on Wellesley as they are. You can ride into the U of T campus and Tower Road and avoid Queen's Park to connect to H/H. I like left turn lanes for cars. I don't like right turns across bike lanes. The left turn lane keep cars out of the bike lane that are passing the left turning vehicles. At the open house I made a request to David Dunn that Wellesley be one-way eastbound for motor vehicles through Queen's Park with a counter-flow bike lane on the north side of Wellesley. The left turn (east to north) could then be done without encroaching on the bike lane. Perhaps alternating left and right turn lanes and prohibiting the other turn at each major intersection is a solution (left only at Bay and at Queens's Park, right only at Yonge, right only at Church, left only at Jarvis, right only at Sherbourne, with bike boxes at every corner and bikes allowed to make indirect lefts.)
A Separatist (not verified)
The separated lanes are not
Fri, 09/14/2012 - 17:42The separated lanes are not needed by competent urban cyclists who are already on the road
That group is probably 1% of the population
It is for everybody else
The cycling community needs to start advocating for people other than themselves
If you are riding already obviously the existing system works for you
By the way if you block the new separated Sherbourne lanes the fine is $150.
Every jurisdiction in western Europe and advanced north American cities , Toronto is late to the party, are developing separated bikeway systems
The resistance from parts of the cycling community boils down to this
I don't need it and it might slow me down
simplicius2wheels
I agree with the gist of your
Fri, 09/14/2012 - 21:15I agree with the gist of your posting: a lot more people will shift to cycling as a mode of transportation if we have such bike lanes.
But I can't agree with:
I count myself as a competent, experienced and educated cyclist - and I would trade the on-road cycling with properly separated lanes anytime. It's not hypothetical, but I can compare cycling on both types as I have grown up in Germany, have commuted to school for more than 15 years on both street and on separate lanes, have visited recently Berlin again with its vast network of separate lanes along the major through roads. Sure, there are differences and even drawbacks, especially if you don't want to go with the flow - but the main difference is you never have to contend for your space in the lane with a traveling car or truck . That's safety and peace of mind.
allan (not verified)
I AM A DEDICATED CYCLIST
Sat, 09/15/2012 - 21:30I AM A DEDICATED CYCLIST AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE BIKE LANES.The lanes on sherbourn are great and the fines for parking in are great but as a cyclist i see a lot of cyclist who disobey the law i think that if a cyclist rides outside the bike lanes thy should also receive a fine,Also I think ther should be a clause in the car insurance that if he hits a cyclist its on the car owner to prove he was at wrong this way the car owner may be more alert around a cyclist.
David Juliusson (not verified)
Joe has brought up a point,
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 13:36Joe has brought up a point, plowing in the winter. I have found that calling 311 and writing my councillor directly has had good results. My Councillor is not pro cycling. The plowing argument that works with him is the plow operators are paid to clear the whole road, why are they not doing it. It is a contracted out service.
It is necessary to call every year. The excuses start but eventually the bike paths are cleared. Sometimes a second call has to be made ,, but once it is clear a complaint will be made every time they are not done, they are cleared consistently until the final snow.
Joe Byer (not verified)
I'm still curious as to HOW
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 16:09I'm still curious as to HOW they'll be cleared. Images I saw floating around a few weeks ago showed the separators that look like this:
http://cycleto.ca/sites/tcu/files/images/sf%20separated%20lane.front.jpg
Works fine for SF, I'm sure... Toronto in February? They gonna use those tiny sidewalk plows?
My comment about "competent cyclists" was more to do with previous posts in this thread.
> The separated lanes are not needed by competent urban cyclists who are already on the road
The last thing we need to do is marginalize cyclists further. I'd rather encourage those on the road to be strong, brave and bold when riding.
Ed
That these separated lanes
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 16:33I have no issues with this statement....
That would be the case if the location of the separated lanes were chosen considering the locations of schools. Harbord and Sherbourne are somewhat useful, though I would expect kids to be taking the smaller streets to the schools (which are often on the smaller streets anyway, at least in the Sherbourne corridor).
If someone can envisage kids riding to school along the much-desired Adelaide/Richmond separated lanes, please let me know where the kids are coming from, and which school they're riding to.
In my more cynical thoughts, the demand for separated bike lanes is not from parents who want a "safe place for their kids to ride"--that sounds more like a park path to me--but rather from condo-dwelling fixie riders who want a "safe route" to their local high-end latte shop.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but let's be realistic about who's likely to use these lanes.
"Separated bike lanes. It's for the children!" does not jive with the downtown network we're getting.
We have yet to see how well the separated bike lanes are implemented. Perception of safety does not equal safety. Intersections and driveways will inevitably remian dangerous. Even more dangerous if the rider gets the idea "this is a safe place to ride", followed by "I don't have to pay attention any more because I'm in a safe place to ride".
I see parents and children riding around blithely on my quiet suburban residential streets, often going through the stop sign around the blind corner on the wrong side of the road without a care in the world. Since it's a quiet street, they don't get splattered. However, this won't be the case if they try that sort of riding on these inner-city separated lanes.
anthony
'Kids' are not limited to
Thu, 09/20/2012 - 09:58'Kids' are not limited to those who attend Jr/Middle Schools.
Sherbourne's bike lanes are close enough to George Brown's King Street Campus to make a difference in how some of those students will choose to get to school.
Wellesly-Hoskin-Harbord will affect UofT and also two high schools which are on/near this route (Central Commerce & Central Tech).