Joint Letter Requesting Cycling Safety on Bayview

Our cycling advocate friends to the west and north of us recently sent a joint letter to several councillors and the mayor.  They requested for safety improvements on Bayview.  When you look at the map, it's quite striking how fragmented and incomplete the infrastructure is now. Please consider writing to the below councillors today in support of this.

To: Councillors John Burnside, Mary Fragedakis, Pam McConnell, Jaye Robinson, Kristyn Wong-Tam

CC: Councillors Josh Matlow, Christin Carmichael-Greb, Mayor John Tory

June 5, 2017

In light of the horrific and entirely preventable death of a 5-year-old on Lakeshore Blvd last week, we request the rapid installation of safety barriers onBayview Avenue between Pottery Rd and Moore Ave, and the initiation of a safety study - emphasizing cyclist safety - of Bayview Avenue over its entire route from Moore Ave to River St.

Bayview has been identified as a priority cycling corridor for over 20 years.  Bayview is the only on-street cycling connection from Midtown, North Toronto and Leaside to the Lower Don Trail system, the Don Valley Brickworks, and downtown either via Rosedale and the Sherbourne bike lane or via River St. This route is used by thousands of young and old people who ride bikes, from experienced riders to families out on a leisurely ride. This route is also used by speeding motorists as though it were a major expressway, despite Bayview being designated as a city road.  Evidence strongly shows that motorist speed is directly linked to collision frequency and severity, therefore this higher-speed corridor presents a high risk to cyclists. 

City Council in 2005 endorsed the Don Valley Corridor Transportation Master Plan, which recommended a full Environmental Assessment for Bayview. Unfortunately, this study was never completed. 

In 2016 the City reconstructed the roadway between Rosedale Road and Moore Avenue which included (1) installation of a guardrail on the east side ofBayview, between Rosedale Valley Road and Pottery Road and (2) widening of the paved shoulder from Pottery Road to Moore Avenue, so that it is in effect a bike lane.  Unfortunately, no guardrail was installed north of Pottery Rd, and simply widening the shoulder is an inadequate safety measure. 

Also in 2016 Councillor Fragedakis tabled a motion, approved by Council (2016.MM18.10) for a functional study of Bayview including cycling safety.  Unfortunately we learned earlier this month that City staff aren't even preparing to start this study.

This is unacceptable.  We don't need to wait for tragedies like this to happen before we install basic safety features such as guardrails on bike routes next to high-speed roadways.

Therefore we recommend to:

1. Designate Bayview Avenue from Pottery Rd to Moore Ave as a cycle track, in accordance with the City’s 2016 Cycling Plan.
2. Separate the new bikeway from the roadway using appropriate technology such as guardrails or Jersey barriers.
3. Service the new bikeway to cycle track standards (regular sweeping, pothole repair, snow clearing, etc).
4. Request Transportation Services to report how additional safety measures on Bayview Avenue between River St and Moore Ave can be addressed, including extending the bikeway south from Rosedale Valley Rd, widening the paved shoulder further, and closing the gap southbound between Moore Ave and Nesbitt Ave.
5. Fully engage with the cycling community as a stakeholder during the City study.

On behalf of the users of Bayview Avenue,
 

John Taranu & Tom Worrall Cycle Toronto Midtown Ward 16 & 22 Advocacy Group cycleto.ca/ward/22	Alex Korobchevsky & Georgina Wilcock Cycle Toronto Ward 25 Advocacy Group
Geoff Kettel & Louis Fliss Cycle 26 Ward 26 Advocacy Group cycleto.ca/ward/26	Peter Rogers Cycle Toronto Ward 28 Advocacy Group cycleto.ca/ward/28
Tom Flaherty Ward 29 Bikes Ward 29 Advocacy Group 29bikes.ca	Alison Stewart & Chris Hoyle Cycle Toronto Yonge Working Group cycleto.ca/yonge

-- 

Tommy Thompson Park Entrance Pavilion - stakeholder meeting 2

[Written in Facebook¹ and posted here with link added]

2nd Tommy Thompson Park, Entrance Pavilion stakeholder meeting Presentation PDF came in email this morning.

So everyone has a better idea of what is proposed at this point, I publish three slides from the presentation.

1. Pedestrian & Bicycle Circulation.
2. Bus / Shuttle circulation.
3. Layout Strategy (noting the 'Tabletop' outline)

Image 1

Pedestrian & Bicycle Circulation

Image 2

Bus / Shuttle circulation

Image 3

Layout Strategy

Public motor vehicle circulation happens only on the entrance driveway (left side of the image south off Unwin) and in the parking lot area ... NOT on the Spur Road's 'Tabletop' (a ~20cm raised platform that defines a relaxed pedestrian dominated zone).

In this cycling advocate's opinion, the numbers of Bicycle Parking spots are way too few - not only as compared with excessive number of parking spots for cars (110) - but also as it relates to the reality of a Park in the midst of a dense urban built form that requires by it's nature, a sustainable, active lifestyle.

Again in this cycling advocate's opinion, the placement of the Bike Parking is sure to make both facilities VERY INSECURE:

• Bicycle Parking south of the Pavilion is hidden behind the structure and is down off the Tabletop - so likely invisible from Unwin/Leslie;
• The other Bike Parking area is at the southern most extent of the precinct - as far from Leslie/Unwin as is possible in this site plan - and is also down off the raised welcome area - so hidden by distance, and topography.

As well, the proposed Bicycle Parking is away from potential Police patrol routes on Unwin and Leslie; they are Unlit, and, Uncovered.

The sense one gets from this document is that the major users of the park - by a vast amount (80% cyclists vs 20% all other visitors) are an after-thought; and embarrassment, an irritation. To put into marketing speak: the Cycling Culture will hurt the Park's 'brand'.

All these small elemental 'Disses' add up to the exact opposite effect that industry best practice and City of Toronto environmental, transportation and planning policy try to achieve towards modern sustainable city-building.

Despite how crappy it makes me feel, I will continue playing the annoying irritant that you can't scratch - at Stakeholder Meeting 3 - coming up shortly.

Michael Holloway,
Tommy Thompson Park User Group,
Cycling Representative
2011-2017


¹  Facebook @ Ward 30 Bikes Page, by Michael Holloway, Feb 9, 2017 | https://www.facebook.com/ward30bikes/posts/1218903768223555

Images are from DTAH's Presentation at the Tommy Thompson Park Entrance Pavilion stakeholder meeting 2, Wednesday, February 8, 2017, Metro Hall, Room 302



mh

New Bike Infrastructure Lately

I think we can safely say, Toronto is in the midst of a new era for bike improvements.  Wait, wait, before you start crying foul (yes, yes, we have a LONG way to go), let's stop and think about all the good that has come over the last few months.  Bloor, Simcoe, Bayview, and the Viaduct.  In the midst of being frustrated about the slow pace of change in Toronto, take a moment to think about some recent successes.

Bloor
The new pilot project protected bike lanes along Bloor sure did cause quite the media hoopla in August. Never has road works been so heavily reported!




















September there was the Bells on Bloor victory celebration lap, and Ward 30 Bikes co-hosted with Scarborough Cycles a feeder ride from Logan / Danforth to meet up with the main ride - great turnout in the east end:

Danforth & Logan feeder ride

Bells turnout was huge!

Councillor Layton speaks at Bells on Bloor, photo: Cycle Toronto

Bells on Bloor Photo: Toronto Observer

And then in early October we learned that a new Forum poll shows that 70% of respondents approve of bike lanes in Toronto!


But since then, quite a few other improvements have been installed to much quieter media reaction. Here's a rundown of what's happened lately:

Simcoe upgrade
Last year Councillor Cressy put forward a motion to separate the rest of Simcoe Street bike lane.  For those familiar, what was there before was mostly separated lane (with planters!) from Richmond St to Wellington.

The better parts of Simcoe

After that... the bike lane down to the waterfront trail was left to your faith in the magic repellent powers of painted lines.

Before: Simcoe Bike lanes - the painted lines, they do nothing!

Well, in October, we got better separation:  bollards.  Not the best, but better than before (note: can't find a good after photo)

Upgrade in process.  After the buffer, bollards were installed

And on a personal note, I biked my son to the 2nd last Jays game of the post season and was super thankful that coming up from the waterfront trail I had those plastic sticks to keep vehicles (mostly) in check, what a difference it made for that section leading up to major family destinations.  It's actually kind of shocking that major destination like Rogers Centre, Steamwhistle Brewery and Train Museum, Ripleys Aquarium and the CN Tower didn't have a safe way to get there by bike.  From now on, Waterfront Trail to Simcoe Bollards and I'm there!


Bayview near Brickworks

The media picked up on this one, and called it a game changer.  Given that the connection is only from Pottery Road to Rosedale Valley Road, and doesn't go all the way south to the Corktown Common trails down there, or north towards Moore and the paths in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery, i'm going to say calling it a game changer is bold. Or it's just click bait.  Also... a metal guard rail?  That a'int no game changer.  Ya! Way to reinforce that feeling of riding beside a highway!

I will concede however, it's a game changer specifically for getting to the Evergreen Brickworks. Because if you've ever done it from Ward 30 with kids in the past.... your heart palpitations may still not have stopped.  Ride down Pottery, then a poorly paved Shoulder-Of-Death and a blind corner right before the Brickworks.... ya...   So then you probably did what we did, crossed the viaduct went on an extended detour through Rosedale and picked up the Milkman's path.  Which is fine and dandy until you need to get out of the valley and your kids can't push their bikes up the rough wooded trail let alone bike it (and your dutch cargo bike can't make it out either - to much pretty nature!)  So you try one more time by going deeper through Rosedale, find the switchback ramp over the tracks at Summerhill and make your way up to Moore and try to get to Brickworks from the north via the Beltline trail.  Only to find not only do you have the same rough wooded trail problem on your way home, but by now your young kids have biked 5km out of their way just to find a safe way into Brickworks.

So, yes... for us folks in Ward 30 trying to safely get to Brickworks, this is indeed a game changer.  The most direct route now has significant safety improvements.

October view of Bayview bike paths across from Brickworks, note the bike traffic signals too! Photo: @Sean_YYZ Twitter

And the new pottery road multi use bridge is a HUGE improvement as well.

But I need to have another go at the guard rail protection of Bayview bike paths:

Not good enough! I feel that living in Toronto I am condition to cheer for whatever we can get.  Our love affair with plastic flexi-post bollards are not going to win any best practice awards in Denmark or the Netherlands.  So a metal guard rail is better, yes... but, we can do so much better!!

Grass buffers perhaps?  This is the Don Valley, there is space.

Netherlands - family friendly bike heaven

The Viaduct
Well this was a surprise to I think almost everyone.  Protection for the viaduct was approved YEARS ago, but we've been forever told that the membrane of the Viaduct cannot be drilled into, so protection couldn't happen.  And then city staff quietly went x-rayed the bridge and figured it out. Install happened over one weekend, with a giant crew of TWO workers and ONE hand drill.  And ta-da, protected-ish.

My safety assessment:  I won't let my 6 year old ride on this, but when I ride I have less fear of orphaning my 2 kids.   Let us know in the comments how you feel about the width of the bike lane for passing etc.,


Still under construction and finishing asap:  upgrades to Gerrard bike lane between Sherbourne and Ryerson (spoiler... protection with trees!) and Peter Street.  Stay tuned, we'll report back soon.

@PaulaFletcher30 to address Lower Don Accessibility Issue at Parks & Environment Committee, Friday, August 15

Councillor Fletcher, Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth, is petitioning at Committee to pass a motion asking for a study and a report-back on accessible connections to the neighbourhoods from the Lower Don Trail - at the Parks and Environment Committee meeting on Friday, August 15, 2014.

The Councillor will talk to concerns a group of us advocates raised this spring about the lack of Accessible Connections (Ramps) from the Bridges that cross the Don Valley down to the LDT below the Viaduct (Dundas, Gerrard and the Riverdale Park Pedestrian Bridge).

It sets the stage for a possible ramp build in the future - she's requesting that:
(quoting)

1) The City re-confirms its commitment to accessibility on the Lower Don Trail.
2) Further study be undertaken on potential points of access onto the Lower Don Trail in particular the pedestrian bridge joining Riverdale Park East and West.
3) Report to P and E in Q2, 2015 on the results.
.
The motion needs our community support.

You can write to the clerk in charge of communications for the Committee to make a written deputation right away - or you can request time on the agenda to speak to the issue on the 15th in Committee Room 1 at City Hall (meeting starts at 9am - meeting agenda is not yet posted).

Email the Committee: pec@toronto.ca
In the title of your email be sure to include this phrase:
"2014.PE29 - Re: Lower Don Trail Accessibility"


Secretariat Contact:
Carol Kaustinen
10th floor, West Tower, City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

email: pec@toronto.ca
phone: 416-338-5089
fax: 416-392-1879

TMMIS address for Parks and Environment Committee meeting of August 15, 2014 (Meeting 29): http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyProfile.do?function=doPrepare&decisionBodyId=368#Meeting-2014.PE29
.

Michael Holloway
Ward 30 Bikes


Here's a copy of Councillor Fletcher's letter to the Committee:

July 23, 2014

Councillor Mammoliti and Members
Parks & Environment Committee

Dear Committee Members:

Re: Lower Don Trail Accessibility

The Lower Don Trail has limited accessibility from Queen Street to Danforth Avenue.

Currently there are stairs at Queen as well as the Riverdale foot bridge. While there is a trench to wheel a bicycle up and down the stairs it is awkward and cumbersome. Many riders simply carry their bikes up the stairs. Trail access and egress at these points is limited to those who can manage their bicycles on the steep incline.

As part of the Lower Don Trail Master Plan there will be two new stair entrances; one from Dundas and one from Gerrard onto the trail.

In May, I had a site meeting on the trail with staff from DTAH, TRCA, PFR and members of the cycling committee to review the Master Plan for the Lower Don trail and to see if the new stairway entrances at Gerrard and Dundas could be made more accessible for cyclists, and anyone with mobility issues. Both of the locations are on street car routes and of course our new street cars will be fully accessible.

Sadly, it was not deemed possible at either of these locations.

There remains a real need for an accessible point on the trail between Queen and Danforth and it was suggested that the pedestrian bridge from Riverdale Park East to West may be a good option.

I am requesting that:

1. The City re-confirms its commitment to accessibility on the Lower Don Trail.
2. Further study be undertaken on potential points of access onto the Lower Don Trail in particular the pedestrian bridge joining Riverdale Park East and West.
3. Report to P and E in Q2, 2015 on the results.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 30

mh

Reconfiguration of the Martin Goodman Trail at Unwin & Leslie

Attended the walk-about of the site on the evening of May 21, 2014 - with TRCA, Planning, Transportation, Parks ... ? Many of the Tommy Thompson Park User Group were there; as well as Trail Users who responded to Ward 30 Bikes community outreach. The site visit was lead by Park Manager Karen McDonald.

Three Possible Routes - Martin Goodman Trail Reconfiguration Map TRCA - May 21, 2014

The consensus was to move it just to the right a bit into the swap. Will result is lost trees, lost swamp habitat areas of the wetland ... and Much expense.

Plus - construction staging on Unwin during the construction will restrict traffic to some extent.

The existing road bed, just under a thin sod layer about 100 meters south of Unwin, travels from beside the new Tommy Thompson parking lot, almost in a straight line over to the existing Unwin road alignment at the cooling channel bridge.

Issues with this no-brainer route though - are numerous:

1) Off-leah dogs (illegal) would endanger thew habitat and species living there. They would be free to disrupt and kill wildlife in a large area of the Baselands (which covers ~35 hectares) ... so a fence along the south side of the Trail would have to be installed (on the north side open water would theoretically create a natural boundary that would protect nesting species there from dogs).

2) In nature conservancy the idea of 'mass' is important - large areas support species and a larger network of species better than small ones. The Trail would create a barrier between habitats essentially creating one big zone, and one tiny one. Naturalists repeatedly referred to it as "losing" the habitat area between the existing fence and a set-back Trail.

3) Politically - Some participants laid out the argument that development of the Port Lands might make Park lands more vulnerable to future development along the area - that the Park land might be more liable to be enveloped by development interests if the Trail was placed back 100 metres from Unwin. The argument goes that the trail would become the *perceived* boundary line of the Park - rather than the fence - which is the Actual property line between with the Toronto Port Lands Company lands (who actually own Unwin Avenue along this section) and the City of Toronto Park.

For Trail Users, the route along the edge of the Unwin roadway would be sided on one side by a road with cars and trucks on it - noise and toxic exhaust emissions would ruin the idea of a ride in the Wilderness. Conversely along this route, the Trail would have along it's south side, an intimate proximity to the wetlands - at times swamp water (with bulrushes and Water Lilies for example) would actually touch the edges of the Trail's foundations.

Along the old road bed 100 metres south, the Trail would be in the midst of a wetland habitat, far from the noise of the road and out of visual range of it as well. It would feel like one was on a trail through a wild place - a Wilderness.

There is something to be said for the design juxtaposition that the Unwin route provides - the wild environs proximate to the technology that is a roadway..

The sequestered route through the middle of the wetland it was also noted, could have issues with misuse by individuals after hours.

Hard to call.

What do you think?

Public Consultation on this will continue for the Parks summer season (to November). New media is being produced by TRCA showing the proposed routes and possible impact points on habitat.

Ward 30 Bikes will keep on this and post those new media here when they become available.

mh