"What she said" - City of Toronto Cheif Planner Jennifer Keesmaat's 'Liveable Cities' narrative

I've been passionate about cycling all my life. I've never had a drivers license, and I've biked everywhere I needed to go; even when I lived in the country as a kid - 10km from my high school.

I've written about and mapped about better cycling routes for years over at Biking Toronto¹ But l came into the political process to see if I could help get some cycling infrastructure on the street. Last spring I joined Cycle Toronto and helped a group of us from the old 'SoDa Bikes' Cycle Toronto group 'reboot' the group as @Ward30Bikes - and took on the responsibilities of 'Captain'.

From the very start of this conversation (that's what I've discovered politics is, a massive conversation) I realized I had to refine my vision in order to convince others mine was the way to go. I've never been a 'realpolitik' guy - just shouting the loudest to get mine for me; rather, I had a real good idea of what I didn't like about what our city was - but I had a much harder time enunciating a vision of what I thought Cities could be.

All my writing and reading and research on cycling issues over the last few years has lead me to a school of thought in Urban Planning. The concept is not new² - but it's not an easy one to express in a few words - it's a complex weave of  understandings in building, transportation, culture, work, policy, play and so on. For the last year I've been studying that school of planning that seems to 'get it' - "The New Urbanism".

This piece reprinted in full below, is by the Cities' Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat - published in the Toronto Star on Sunday April 27 2014 - it nails the vision I've been struggling to express. It pertains to everything from Great bike parking in new developments, to wider sidewalks on an East Danforth with bike lanes and connecting neighbourhoods to the water front ... .

"What she said":

By densifying Eglinton, we can fight congestion

The LRT on Eglinton Ave. should be treated not as a transit infrastructure project but as a critical city-building initiative.

A rendering of how Eglinton Ave. will look after the light-rail, which is currently under construction, is finished.
Image: "future_eglinton" visualization - Courtesy of the City of Toronto, via Toronto Star 2014-04-27
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/04/27/by_densifying_eglinton_we_can_fight_congestion.html

By: Jennifer Keesmaat Published on Sun Apr 27 2014

It’s a well-known fact that it’s not possible to relieve traffic congestion by building more roads in a rapidly densifying city. Research has shown that when we add capacity to our road network, within a very short period of time additional commuters are induced to drive, leading to impassable congestion.

Two University of Toronto professors, Gilles Duranton and Matthew Turner, quantified this phenomena through historical data, showing that road construction goes hand-in-hand with an increase in traffic thanks to the “fundamental law of road congestion.”

We also know that great cities of the world have been able to continue to grow exponentially by planning for movement by adding options or increasing choice. While cycling is just beginning to ramp up in North American cities as part of this recognition of the need to provide more choice and embrace sustainability, the long-time hallmark of a city with choice has been excellent — exceptional, even (think New York City, Paris) — public transit.

But one choice that has the potential to reduce our greenhouse gases while also making our cities safer, quieter and cleaner, critically, is the option to live closer to where we work, and within walking distance or a short transit/cycle ride of the amenities needed for everyday life. Imagine the change in your daily routine if, instead of getting in your car every morning, you tied on your shoes and walked to work.

While it is inevitable that many of us need to travel on a regional scale from time to time, such as to take a vacation, see a specialist or visit families and friends, commuting every day on a regional scale to and from work will always be resource and time intensive — even with high-speed, high frequency transit. If we truly want to reduce congestion, and if we truly care about becoming a more sustainable city, increasing housing choice and affordable housing near the places where people work should be at the top of our city-building agenda.

So when we think about the 19 kilometres of light-rail transit currently under construction on Eglinton Ave., running through the heart of our city, we will miss the mark once again if we treat this investment — and opportunity — as simply a transit infrastructure project, as opposed to a critical city-building initiative.

Densifying Eglinton through midrise development that provides more opportunities for people to live in the heart of the city with high frequency transit access, and as part of walkable neighbourhoods, is about providing housing choice. And more housing choice along key transit corridors is essential to unlocking the congestion puzzle.

But, skeptics may wonder — thinking of the noisy, traffic nightmare that Eglinton is today — is this a real choice? A livable choice? A choice for families? Our avenues will only become desirable, linear neighbourhoods if we reconceive them as complete streets where people move in a variety of ways, including as pedestrians on widened sidewalks lined with shops, medical services, daycares and schools, and separated cycle tracks, as they densify.

We know that the fastest growing demographic in our city — echo boomers, between the ages of 18-34 — are actively trading off a larger house and a long commute for a more urban lifestyle. On the other end of the spectrum, we also know that seniors are downsizing, and in many instances looking for housing choices near the neighbourhoods where they already live. Our avenues, if we get them right, could be home to both of these growing demographics.

Building transit on our existing corridors and leaving them primarily for cars would neglect the opportunity to create these new neighbourhoods, which is as critical to addressing congestion as the transit investment itself. And transit users are pedestrians, so a quality, safe public realm is essential to well-designed LRT.

We must transform our main transit avenues into the future city, the city we desire, the place that we are seeking to become. This future city is comprised of great places to live with a high quality of life where it is possible to walk, shop, cycle to school and take transit to work. It does take some imagining, and some belief, but it will also take tenacity because we have a long way to go.

Jennifer Keesmaat is the Chief Planner & Executive Director of the City Planning Division, City of Toronto.

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Reprinted in full - (because she would have wanted it that way).

Read the article at the Toronto Star with all the links and related articles: 

Toronto Star - Sunday April 27th 2014 | "By densifying Eglinton, we can fight congestion" - by: Jennifer Keesmaat | http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/04/27/by_densifying_eglinton_we_can_fight_congestion.html


Notations:

¹ Toronto/GTA Bicycle Route Mapping Wiki | Cyclists Sharing Routes around Toronto - http://bikingtoronto.com/bicycleroutemappingwiki/

² Wikipedia | New Urbanism - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Urbanism



mh

"I advocate for "Liveable Cities" Re-development; therefore I advocate for GREAT Bicycle Parking."

At development meetings I get into trouble advocating for bike parking.

What they want to demolish – 1327 Queen East (right) and 1329 Queen East. The houses to the east of this are included in this proposal. They would disappear as well. 
(Image via The Ashbridge's Neighbourhood | Meeting next Monday March 24 – 7 p.m. at Maple Cottage on development proposal 1327 – 1339 Queen East |  https://ashbridges.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/meeting-next-monday-evening-at-maple-cottage-on-development-proposal-1327-1339-queen-east/)

People think I'm one of those NIMBY's - just looking out for number one; the world's too complex - all you can do is express your own interest.

Enlightened residents think I'm just distracting from the 'Real' issues: the Character of the neighbourhood, the Enjoyment of one's property next to a big shadow-casting monster full of drivers with cars that will steal my Parking Spot. And not only parking - what about Parks!?

When I bring up Bicycle Parking people dismiss it - like many often do about cycling issues (a function I believe, of a subtle but oft repeated 'branding' in big car, energy and retail company advertising).

None of those impressions of what I'm about are even close to the truth of it.

I thought that before the next redevelopment meeting, I'd better explain myself.

I advocate for "Liveable Cities" Re-development; therefore I advocate for GREAT Bicycle Parking.

As a representative of Cycle Toronto - within all development proposal public consultations I support traffic calming and reduced parking on the streets - within an idea City Planners call 'Complete Streets' (which is Provincial and City of Toronto Policy).

Complete Streets tries to build 'Livable Cities'.

Planners have come to understand that 'Livable' means on major avenues we narrow or remove traffic lanes for cars in order to slow down the average speed of traffic through the neighbourhood; we take out parking so to widen sidewalks and add mass transit capacity (more and better) - and add Separated Cycling Infrastructure.

All this together encourages people who live in dense, urban places and who drive their cars everywhere, to change lifestyles from one dominated by car transportation, to one that allows people to choose a variety of ways to get around --- based on where they are going, and what they're doing.

So for example - with every street a Complete Street - parents with children could send their kids to school by bike. If the parent worked in the neighbourhood (or nearby - in a cycling sense that's considered a 7 km one-way trip - like from West Scarborough to Yonge & College) then parents could accompany their young children to school on bikes, or by walking - and then continue on into the core by bike or by walking, or catching a street car.

In a Livable City you would rather go shopping for food 3 times a week or more instead of driving to a big parking lot shopping Plaza and buy a whole weeks worth of groceries - spending an hour in the store, lining up at the cashier waiting for the person in front with a massive cart full; lugging a weeks worth of food in from the driveway, spending another hour unpacking and storing, and freezer bagging, and cupboard-ing all that stuff.

Instead in a Liveable City - on the way home from work you would rather park your bike just steps from the front door of a local vegetable place, right around the corner from where you live - and get just enough for 2 or 3 days (it's self-life anyway). The next night you might pick up meat (or beans and nuts) at the local store that sells those things - again just enough for a couple of days, right around the corner from your home.

In Liveable City you wouldn't think of traveling for an hour one-way to get to a Big Box store Theatre off the 401; instead you would ride with your family to a local theatre. Ten minutes after you left home after dinner you would rather park for free right next to the Theatre doors! After the film you might walk with your kids and grab a coffee and milkshakes around the corner from there - and perhaps walk back home too - walking your bikes and talking as you sipped your drinks.
.

To this end, I propose *Great* Bike Parking facilities and amenities at proposed Mid-rise and 'doubling the density' project Developments in my neighbourhood - toward a Liveable City.

Right now the Bike Parking spots rules say 20% of the required (which in total number are adequate) are supposed to be at ground level. That usually means outside in a secure paddock - with a roof to keep rain and snow off.

80% of Bike parking spots usually end up in the basement parking garage. This in anathema to the culture of cycling as one's main means of transportation. Greasy, black soot, dark, dangerous, toxic - no well-lit healthy area to perform daily, weekly, monthly, yearly maintenance that is required when you ride every day.

I would like to see plans where 100% of Bike Parking is on the first floor and outside in a secure and pleasant naturally lit area. "Tiered Bike Parking" technology can make this a Very efficient in terms of use of space.

Architects should double-down on this vision of Liveable Architecture, and while designing ways to make space for 100% first floor Bicycle Parking - create a Cultural Space that would encourage cycling culture as well.

I imagine an area that has glass garage doors that can slide up to the ceiling in summer like many cafe's have - as part of a spacious, naturally lit, indoor space that is open to neighbourhood sight-lines. A space about the size of those amenity rooms you see gated off (because no one uses them - and they become places of mischief) - and that is outfitted with a work bench, stools, a fixed-in-place bicycle pump, a couple of fixed-in-place Bike Work Stands for working on one's bike; a washing-up sink, even perhaps a small kitchenette area for making coffee; a small bar fridge for storing cream in... .

The lifestyle of the cyclist has to be very much encouraged to get people to make the switch away from the greatly advertised fantasy of car transportation.

With great amenities for cyclists comes an identity, a cultural form unique to a neighbourhood ... it becomes that final straw that gets people to make the switch; a switch that makes good sense economically, ethically, towards one's own health and well being and for the state of the neighbourhood in general - physically, existentially and culturally.

Michael Holloway
Leslieville, Toronto
Captain, Ward 30 Bikes,
Cycle Toronto


Image: The Ashbridge's Neighbourhood | "Meeting next Monday March 24 – 7 p.m. at Maple Cottage on development proposal 1327 – 1339 Queen East" |  https://ashbridges.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/meeting-next-monday-evening-at-maple-cottage-on-development-proposal-1327-1339-queen-east/



mh

Future of the Gardiner Expressway East - Public Forum #3 - money, jobs and fanciful artists' renderings enable thousands of car trips

Yesterday I posted this notice in Facebook at the City of Toronto Cycling site:

Future of the Gardiner Expressway East - Public Forum #3
Toronto Reference Library (The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon)
789 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M4W 2G8
Thursday, 6 February 2014
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

The Gardiner ends at about the middle of McCleary Park (south side of the Lake Shore Boulevard) 1 block west of Logan Avenue.

If East Side Cyclists want a north South route in the area then it would be a whole lot more possible if the Remove the Gardiner option is chosen (just like was done from Logan to Woodbine).

I have been active online in this study process - tomorrow night I'll attend this event representing Cycle Toronto's advocacy group, Ward 30 Bikes.

(https://www.facebook.com/groups/140997182582942/permalink/819865268029460/?stream_ref=3)



To my great sorrow - this is what I posted under it the next night:

What I heard tonight was business as usual. In all four options - no Complete Streets visioning. After pointing out that one of the Terms of Reference was opening the City to the Lake Front - there wasn't one mention of how any of the options would do that.

To me the key to developing a livable city; is a city that is walkable, a city that is connected - one neighbourhood to the other. A city where cycling is a major component of the transportation mix.

The presentation I watched in person tonight, spent 15 seconds on cycling - and showed slide after slide of lineal aspects of the expressway - in all four options.

Big Fail

The 4 Stakeholders sitting at the table right beside me seem OK with it. Wrong stakeholders I think.

Very disappointing.

On the positive side, all the aspects which seemed to drive this part of the process - money, jobs and fanciful artists' renderings - seemed to point to the Remove option - which with-in it, seems to only consider a 'replace' with a 'Grand Boulevard'. The Grand Boulevard, a situation we here in Riverdale/Leslieville know - solves nothing towards opening up the city to the water front - if your main threads are money jobs and badly conceived architecture.

The staring point in city building is people - that's why the public consultation process - not so you can hoodwink and confuse while the powerful developer interests ram through their unsustainable economic planning - but rather - to make the space livable.

Livable spaces are arrived at by asking neighbourhoods of people what they want. The result is place people want to be - and then the people will come. Make sure the built form will facilitate the things those people are likely to need when they begin to enjoy themselves there - and that bring the development, the businesses and the jobs - and then the housing all of which will begin to evolve the new built form of the new place.

Staring with how many cars you can slam through a neighbourhood (now all dead along the edges of this thing) is no way to vision our children's Water Front.

In the last consultation I envisioned large wide open spaces at many, many crossing points. Crossings that were Complete Streets - with wide streets that could hold: mass transit to move masses of people, wide side walks where people would feel comfortable walking, separated 'slow traffic' infrastructure - for bicycles and other emerging low carbon emission, sustainable modes - and car lanes.

Obviously no one preparing this monstrosity read that one.

 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/140997182582942/permalink/819865268029460/?comment_id=820901844592469&offset=0&total_comments=12)


References:

Waterfront Toronto | Gardiner East Environmental Assessment - www.waterfrontoronto.ca/explore_projects2/the_wider_waterfront/the_gardiner_expresswaygardiner east environmental assessment

Video of the evening's proceedings: http://hosting.epresence.tv/livemedia/52/page/Home.aspx

Future of the Gardiner Expressway East - Public Forum #3 - Presentation Slides: http://www.gardinereast.ca/sites/default/files//documents/GE%20-%20Presentation%20-%20PIC%2002%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Live Twitter feed of the hashtag, #gardinereast - https://twitter.com/search?q=%23gardinereast&src=hash

Online Survey (same questions as the live participants engaged; watch the presentation, review the presentation slides, and then fill this out if you like - will be included in the public feedback portion of the assessment process) - http://fluidsurveys.com/s/GardinerEastEA-PIC3-HaveYourSay/



mh

Queen St., Logan, Port Lands, South of Eastern, Dundas/Carlaw Corridor - a walk-about to discover North-South Cycling Opportunities

Learning through reading, walk-abouts and writing: Bouchette Street, Logan Avenue & Carlaw Avenue --- Commissioners to Dundas

I did a walk-about of the 'South of Eastern Employment Area' in a corridor which includes Carlaw Ave, Logan Ave - and south of Lake Shore, a possible connection from Broadview - Bouchette Street. My walk-about started at Queen Street and Logan, down to McCleary Park and then Bouchette Street to Commissioners. I returned to the neighbourhood via Carlaw from Lake Shore up to the Dundas Bike Lanes.

The map below shows the southerly route in green, and the return trip in red. The purple line is: 'Jeez! I wish that on the way back I had continued east on Commissioners for one block over to Carlaw and the Turning Basin!'  (click on place marks and lines for more route data and short narratives).


View Walking the Port Lands Planning Precincts in a larger map

I was looking for a way to create a North-South Cycling Corridor - as many have suggested a need for this in our Problem/Opportunities outreach to the East Side Community (see CycleTO, Ward 30 Bikes - Problems/Opportunities Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Musw4).

Here' my walk about route Friday December 13, 2013 - on an image of the Port Lands Master Plan pedestrian/cycling map. My walk-about route down is in Green - back up is in Yellow (extending up to Dundas St East).

City of Toronto Planning - Transportation and Servicing Master Plan - Page 5 of 9 - Pedestrian/Cycling Network Map (top of the map is about half way to Queen St.)

(Note how I tried to cross Lake Shore Blvd. at rush hour - bad idea - getting to the median at 5pm was easy, but then I couldn't get across the eastbound lanes no matter how long I waited it seemed. Eventually I decided I had to walk on the median east from Logan to the lights at Carlaw - but saw a walking opportunity, and crossed through grid-locked traffic, about a football field's length from the lights.)

These connectivity issues are being addressed by City of Toronto Planing in their "Transportation and Servicing Master Plan" study - a part of the "Port Lands Acceleration Initiative" - an over-all planning process for the Port Lands and the South of Eastern Avenue area which extends from the Don River over to about Coxwell and down to Unwin Avenue.

To connect the Port Lands and the Waterfront to the city, I'm also exploring north of Eastern by walking it, and reading the Dundas/Carlaw Corridor Study Documents (see link below) - and then also I intend to walk up to Riverdale Ave (just below Withrow Park) - above which the cycling / pedestrian conditions become much better. (There are issues - but those for another post.)

There's a lot to digest in these five Port Lands studies - so I'm making my way through the Transportation and Servicing Master Plan documents first - and at the same time walking the connection routes through the study areas - and - writing up my learning and understandings gleaned from the process as I go.

___________________

Below is an image I produced from City of Toronto Planning, Transportation and Servicing Master Plan, page 5 of 9 - zoomed to 800% - showing part of their proposed Pedestrian/Cycling Network that this article focuses on: Contra-flow Bike Lanes on Carlaw and Logan - intended to connect the existing neighbourhoods to the new Port Lands and to the Waterfront.

City of Toronto Planning  - Transportation and Servicing Master Plan - Page 5 of 9 Zoom -  Pedestrian/Cycling Network - Contra-flow Bike Lanes on Carlaw and Logan below Eastern

On Logan Avenue the Master Plan suggests a One-way with a Contra-flow Lane and On-street Parking.I'm not particularly fond of Contra-flows as we have designed them so far, they are not intuitive (plus one feels like car drivers don't understand it - don't expect you there. Perhaps paint on the street is a fix). So when I did my walk I was imagining either painted on Bike Lanes or a separated Cycle Track along one side.

I started my walk at Queen Street East and Logan Avenue at about 4:30pm (rush hour is just beginning to peak into grid lock). The street seems quite narrow (is it? - tape measure next time), so to add a North-South Bike Route to the street it was either make Logan Ave a One-Way and put in a Contra-flow Bike Lane - or maintain the two-way street, narrow the lanes and add a separated Cycle Track on one side, and keep On-Street parking on the other.

I'll leave out South of Lake Shore for this post - it's a whole different thing. At this time I'm more concerned with how we are going to connect to it, rather than how we may wish to develop it - except to say -  visioning 30% active transportation - aka Complete Streets.

Coming back up I took Carlaw. Carlaw is one of five "Gateway" to the Port Lands - since it already goes across Lake Shore Boulevard. Plans in 2010 and 2012 have always included this and a possible extension with a bridge south of the turning basin. So Lake Shore to Eastern I imagined Carlaw with wider sidewalks; narrower lanes and a Cycle Track along the West side - with on-street parking on the East side. Or - Bike Lanes on both sides - which means no on-street parking (lots of push-back there).

Same goes for Carlaw Ave below Eastern. It seems very uncomfotable walking there - especially on the west side sidewalk at Lake Shore. On the East side sidewalk planners have already installed a Complete Streets deep corner that feels a whole lot safer.

Continuing up Carlaw the sidewalks are really narrow and the buildings seem to almost brush your shoulder as you're walking.

I was thinking wider sidewalks two car lanes and a cycle track on the West side - perhaps On-Street parking on the East side if there's room - but I doubt it.


Above Eastern Carlaw Ave seems to open up a little - I imagine a Cycle Track along the West side of the street - two lanes for cars and On-street parking on the East side of the street.

Placing the Cycle Track on the West side of Carlaw works nicely with Morse Street Public School - kids (and their parents) should enjoy (be relieved) having the cycle track take them right to their schools' front door.

Bike Parking Amenity and Car Parking at Morse Street Jr. Public School - looking South from the middle of Carlaw - just South of Queen

Morse Street Jr. Public has a 30-car Parking Lot just South of the building. Just to the North of the car park beside the driveway for the parking lot is an aging, rusted bike rack of bad design (not useful if you want to lock your back wheel). The contraption sits tilting slightly, amidst weeds growing through the cement on the border of a collapsing textured area near the rear doors of the school.

Image - City of Toronto Transportation Services, Bicycle
Infrastructure Unit - Queen Street West Bicycle
Parking Study Slide Deck (page 15 of 20)

As part of my visioning here I see losing one-third of the car parking and installing a canopied bike parking amenity on the parking lot area closest to the school - narrowing the driveway to the lot so cars cannot use it and make that the entrance-way for bikes. The car park entrance can come from the alleyway to the South.

From here walking North you come to Queen Street and the beginning of the Dundas/Carlaw Corridor Study Area. Again it looks like the same Cycle Track on the West side. The sidewalk on the North-west corner has been widened to accomodate the Bus stop - this area feels good.

I believe Planners at the T&EY-CC Planning Workshop have imagined wider sidewalks up this side of Carlaw here. (Phase One of the Dundas/Carlaw Corridor Study is completing now - another Public Workshop is scheduled in January 2014 - Documents at Councillor Paula Fletcher's website: http://paulafletcher.ca/discover-ward-30/community-planning/#carlaw ) 

The building under construction just above Colegate Ave on the West side has created a raised fronting that will allow sitting there. This structure looks to allow the sidewalk to widen to the comparable width to that of the Bus Stop area at the corner to the South at Queen. The Dundas/Carlaw Corridor Study also suggests Colegate gets a Complete Streets treatment - narrowing the roadway and expanding the sidewalks as an pedestrian friendly corridor West over to Jimmy Simpson Park.

The East side of Carlaw through here feels like a wall. The sidewalks need to be widened here. I suggest losing a lane and adding trees and seating amenities.

There is a break between the two long street fronts (between 239 & 345 Carlaw) that could add to the illusion that the wall of existing built form is broken up; for example a big tree pushing out into the street-view looking South would do it. Also the hydro lines running along the street on the east side add to the lineal 'wall effect' and could be buried when the street is reconstructed.

The Canyon Effect on the East Side of Carlaw looking South from in front of 245 Carlaw - arrow shows alleyway between 235 & 245 Carlaw - break sight lines by burying wires; shaped steel lattice-work between buildings with ivy; large sculpture; colour ...

___________________

That's  it for now.

I'll scout Logan and Carlaw below Lake Shore Boulevard next. My walk along the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard and down Bouchette Street and a little West on Commisioners on Friday the 13th was Really interesting! But I'll save that for a South of Lake Shore Boulevard Connections Opportunities post - next time.

After I've thoughly scouted this corridor south - I plan to walk Boothe Avenue - which looks really interesting on the map.

What's that massive CineSpace Film Studios building doing there? Is there a route through the property? What are the Planners thinking about that? Is that company going to move south into the Film Studio Precinct someday?

Is Bouchette Street a possibility for a North-South crossing of the Grand Boulevard after the Eastern Gardiner Study recommends flattening that structure that ends there?  What about the extension of Broadview down below Eastern? What of a Bike Trail by the Don River there?

Then I take Logan up to Riverdale Ave - and then scout down the Pape-Riverdale-Carlaw corridor and back down to Dundas at Carlaw again.

___________________

Links, References

Port Lands Acceleration Initiative (all the links to all the Study Documents) | http://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/


Ward 30 Bikes | Bike Infrastructure BIG Talking Point at Public Consultation for Dundas/Carlaw Corridor Planning Study | ward30bikes.blogspot.ca/2013/10/bike-infrastructure-big-talking-point.html

City of Toronto Transportation Services, Bicycle Infrastructure Unit - Queen Street West Bicycle Parking Study | http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=60400995bbbc1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=4655970aa08c1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

City of Toronto Transportation Services, Bicycle Infrastructure Unit - Queen Street West Bicycle Parking Study Slide Deck | http://www1.toronto.ca/staticfiles/city_of_toronto/transportation_services/cycling/files/pdf/draft3_bike_parking_study_oct8.pdf

City of Toronto Transportation: E-Bikes should be allowed in Bicycle Lanes

- E-Bikes on Ontario Streets are exploding in numbers for a variety of reasons.
- In this two year 'test project' - 32 km/h motor vehicles will be mixed in the painted-on Bicycle Lanes with 18 km/h Bicycles.

- This is a 'compromise' that will drive cyclists off the roads and into the Trails. 

This is not a "Compromise" - this is the end of "Complete Streets" as a real-world Policy in Toronto!

Now Magazine - 2014/01/04

Scooters to be allowed in bike lanes

City report would compel cyclists to share the road with e-bikes

Ben Spurr

"..

Under the proposed new rules electric scooters would be allowed in painted bike lanes, but they would be barred from physically separated bike lanes and multi-use trails, on penalty of a $150 fine. Pedelecs would be permitted anywhere that bicycles go.

The recommendations are consistent with rules already in place in Ottawa and Mississauga.

Dan Egan, the city's manager for cycling infrastructure, concedes that many cyclists would be angered by having to share their lanes with e-scooters, but he believes it's a fair solution.

"This is a bit of a compromise position to allow them in the painted bike lanes, the rationale being that you can operate them safely in a painted bike lane. You can easily exit the bike lane to overtake slower cyclists," he says. "But we don't want them mixing in [physically separated] cycle tracks where you don't have that opportunity to overtake, or in trails when you've got an environment mixed with pedestrians."

Egan suggests that there is a legitimate reason to allow e-scooters in bike lanes because legally they’re not allowed to go faster than 32 km/h, meaning they're unable to keep up with car traffic.

“It is felt that allowing e-scooter access to conventional bicycle lanes would provide a safer environment for these riders, instead of forcing them out of the bicycle lanes and having them mix with the faster moving automobile traffic,” the report notes.

..."

Read the full article: Now Magazine - 2014/01/04 | "Scooters to be allowed in bike lanes" http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=196096


mh

Full Court Press Against New Urbanisms' Complete Streets Underway across North America

For example:

"Sick of congestion? Build roads, not transit"
The Globe and Mail - Dec. 26 2013 -
- by Brian Lee Crowley

As noted in a post here earlier, representatives of the dinosaur industrial economic sectors are gearing up to paint the Bicycle as the source of all evil in a campaign focused squarely at New Urbanisms' progress in City Planning via Complete Streets thinking that is slowly winning over voters with their proposed switch away from the inefficient car mode of transportation as we continue to renew the aging transportation infrastructure of our North American Cities.

Image (toronto traffic) via: TorontoToday | Traffic gridlock stymies growth | http://www.torontotoday.org/economy.php

Here's the fairly weak nut of the Globe story, written by the Managing Director of the "Macdonald-Laurier Institute" - as Wikipedia says - 'a right-leaning public policy think tank' out of Ottawa:

".. Phoenix, for example, had the 10th worse congestion among major urban areas in the U.S., despite being only 35th in population. It has more than doubled in size in the ensuing decades (it is now the 12th largest urban area in the U.S.), but its traffic congestion has fallen to 37th."

.

The argument doesn't stand just a little reflection. Phoenix has just exploded in size and this expansion began to level out just as the Financial Collapse of 2008 hit. So yes --- their extensive road building program - plus the ensuing economic downturn - has not *yet* resulted in the congestion predicted by New Urbanisms' 'Build it and they will come' central plank.

.______________

The Globe and Mail - Dec. 26 2013 - "Sick of congestion? Build roads, not transit" http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/sick-of-congestion-build-roads-not-transit/article16107135/

Thread at Facebook Group, City of Toronto Cycling (noted in the first paragraph above) was a discussion about an approaching, 'War on the Bicycle' which began with a link to an article from the Boston Globe - December 15, 2013:  

"Conservatives’ new enemy: Bikes"
The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/NoLMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html



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(Originally posted at Facebook Group, City of Toronto Cycling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/140997182582942/permalink/795066257176028/)