On Wednesday December 18th a group of neighbourhood cyclists from Ward 30 Bikes (and others) attended the TTC Leslie Barns Public Liasion Team's Safety Walk.
Experts from: City Transportation, TTC, General Contractor Pomerleau, and Lura Public Relations (specialists for Public construction projects) - walked the site as it was then configured (just started changing again yesterday - the 6th of January).
We walked Eastern Ave and Leslie Street; Mosley St; the two Plaza Entrances, the two Temporary Entrances off Lake Shore Boulevard that cross the Lower Don Recreation Trail (LDRT); The Pedestrian / Cycling egresses across Leslie St, and across Lake Shore Boulevard; reviewed the signage directing folks to and from all egress points - including all temporary bus stops.
A particular discussion occurred around the Temporary Plaza entrances with regard to the condition of the speed bumps there. (property management deals with hiring contractors to clear snow from the parking lot there at the FreshCO Plaza (as does Loblaws, which in that case Loblaws owns the property).
The FreshCo manager had relayed concerns about the condition of the speed bumps there (as had someone about the Loblaws Temporary Entrance). The contracted snow plows are apparently configured such that they are tending to rip up the rubber speed bumps - exposing the large fired-in pins that hold them in place. These pins were considered to be a trip hazard and a hazard to car tires - not to mention cyclists. The FreshCo people appaently indicated they want to take out the speed bumps for the winter season.
We talked about getting city Transportation Speed Bumps installed on City Property there as a replacement.
Discussion about the placement of the really big sign facing Lake Shore Blvd. concluded it was in as good a spot as it could be. Several bikes passing through along the trail coincident with our travels, came upon the place as cars were exiting the parking lot. On three occasions we witnesses at the time - all drivers saw the approaching cyclists and stopped.
There has been some evidence presented from witnesses - including myself - that cars are treating the stop sign at the Temporary entrances as Yields - rather than stops. But from what I saw that night and on independent walk-abouts of the site - car drivers can easily see cyclists coming - and so their, slow down and then gun it, behaviour would appear to be safe(-ish).
If you cycle the area and have a different opinion, please let Ward 30 Bikes know. (ward_30 @ cycleto.ca)
Of note: Interesting bit of dabbling into urban anthropology. The recent snowfall that evening was of great benefit to the team, as we could see where pedestrians were actually walking about the site from their footprints in the snow! We were thus able at two spots, to suggest changes to keep people from wandering (due to not perfectly initiative sign placement) - into danger zones.
Reprinted via highlight, copy, paste - into this blog - from an email from Leslie Barns - a link for on the web that I cannot find. (?)
Leslie Street Construction - Meeting Summary Notes
Cyclist Safety Walk #3– Leslie and Lake Shore Area Review
Wednesday December 18, 2013
The following summarizes items discussed. Follow up meetings will be held prior to any major phasing changes for the duration of the project.
Attendees:
Vivien Leong, Jo Oppenheimer, Michael Holloway
City of Toronto
Dan Egan
Pomerleau
Christian Hebert, Melissa Montgomery
TTC
Adrienne Long, David Nagler, Liz Garkowski, Niki Angelis, Ken Hui, Jim Faught (Lura)
*****
A group of local residents and area cyclists (representing the Ward 30 and Ward 32) along with the TTC Project Team, City Transportation staff, and the project contractor (Pomerleau) met to discuss the temporary accesses on Lake Shore Boulevard and the diverted Martin Goodman Trail. They reviewed the temporary right-in and right-out accesses to the Loblaws/Burger King and Tim Hortons/Wendy’s/FreshCo plazas from Lake Shore Blvd, the temporary single northbound lane on Leslie from Lake Shore to the plaza intersection, as well as the general crossing configuration at Leslie and Lake Shore and Leslie and Mosley in order to ensure the site is as safe as possible for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
A number of recommendations were discussed for review and follow-up.
Leslie Street between plaza intersection and Eastern Ave
Summary notes prepared by:
- Reinstate the east – west crossing on the south side of the Eastern / Leslie intersection as soon as safe to do so. (Action Item 1)
- Add the orange pedestrian signs (a person walking and arrow) to the diversion around the Mosley work. These signs are to replace the current signs that say “sidewalk closed”. (Action Item 2)
- Clear snow from the diverted walkway around Mosley (particularly on the ramps to the sidewalks). (Action Item 3)
- On the “danger due to” sign on the hoarding around Mosley work (on south side) change description in the “due to” section. It currently reads overhead work eventhough there is no overhead work. Perhaps revise to say due to excavation. (Action Item 4)
- There is a sign that reads “stop, pedestrian crossing” on the north west corner of the hording around Mosley. Please remove this sign and place it somewhere more appropriate (ie. as a warning facing inside the work zone for the drivers exiting the area). (Action Item 5)
- There is a handwritten sign on the FreshCo side of the plaza intersection which says that the sidewalk is closed to Eastern. As this is no longer the case, sign will be removed. (Action Item 6)
- Add another one way sign and no left turn to the other side of the same signs currently facing people exiting FreshCo (so it will be the same signs for people exiting Loblaws) at the plaza intersection at Leslie. (Action Item 7)
- Add “all way” tags to any stop sign that doesn’t have it at the four-way stop at the plaza intersection. (Action Item 8)
- Temporary Accesses
- Confirm if City Transportation approves putting a speed bump in the City right of way adjacent to the FreshCo temporary entrance to slow traffic. (Action Item 9)
- Martin Goodman Trail at Leslie/Lake Shore Intersection
- When doing any sheet piling on Lake Shore, ensure a flag person is present. (Action Item 10)
- Where the south side of the Martin Goodman Trail turns to go down Leslie, there has been snow shovelled into a corner creating a pile which blocks part of the trail. Clear the snow. (Action Item 11)
- Add a second no right on red to the south east corner of Lake Shore / Leslie intersection. People sometimes stop ahead of where the current sign is so having an additional sign there might ensure these people see it. (Action Item 12)
- Speak to appropriate party to have the bus stop on Leslie south of Lake Shore cleared of snow to make it more easily accessible. (Action Item 13)
- Action Items
- Action Item 1: Reinstate the east – west crossing on the south side of the Eastern / Leslie intersection as soon as safe to do so.
- Action Item 2: Add the orange pedestrian signs (a person walking and arrow) to the diversion around the Mosley work. These signs are to replace the current signs that say “sidewalk closed”.
- Action Item 3: Clear snow from the diverted walkway around Mosley (particularly on the ramps to the sidewalks).
- Action Item 4: On the “danger due to” sign on the hoarding around Mosley work (on south side) change description in the “due to” section. It currently reads overhead work although there is no overhead work. Perhaps revise to say due to excavation.
- Action Item 5: There is a sign that says “stop, pedestrian crossing” on the north-west corner of the hording around Mosley. Please remove this sign and place it somewhere more appropriate (ie. as a warning facing inside the work zone for the drivers exiting the area).
- Action Item 6: There is a handwritten sign on the FreshCo side of the plaza intersection which says that the sidewalk is closed to Eastern. As this is no longer the case, sign will be removed.
- Action Item 7: Add another one way sign and no left turn to the other side of the same signs currently facing people exiting FreshCo (so it will be the same signs for people exiting Loblaws) at the plaza intersection at Leslie.
- Action Item 8: Add “all way” tags to any stop sign that doesn’t have it at the four way stop at the plaza intersection.
- Action Item 9: Confirm if City Transportation approves putting a speed bump in the City right of way adjacent to the FreshCo temporary entrance to slow traffic.
- Action Item 10: When doing any sheet piling on Lake Shore, ensure a flag person is present.
- Action Item 11: Where the south side of the Martin Goodman Trail turns to go down Leslie, there has been snow shovelled into a corner creating a pile which blocks part of the trail. Clear the snow.
- Action Item 12: Add a second no right on red to the south east corner of Lake Shore / Leslie intersection.
- Action Item 13: Speak to appropriate party to have the bus stop on Leslie south of Lake Shore cleared of snow to make it more easily accessible.
Elizabeth Garkowski
Elizabeth.garkowski@ttc.ca
416-981-7361
Links:
Leslie Barns Public Liaison - Web | https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/Leslie_Barns/news.jsp
Leslie Barns Public Liaison - Twitter @TTCLeslieBarns | http://twitter.com/ttclesliebarns
Leslie Barns Project Community Office
1258 Queen Street East (at Hastings Avenue).
Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday - evenings by appointment.
mh
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