Jane's Walk about Complete Streets Brings Lots of Community Interest

Did you make it out to a Jane's Walk this past weekend?  Several Ward30bikes members were out at the Complete Streets Jane's Walk on Saturday:

Pape Station, start of walk

I think the topic of complete streets really resonates with the community as the turnout was great.  The walk included many stops as we went from Pape Station down to Logan and Queen.  At each stop the leader asked several participants read out prepared notecards detailing the desires of various users of streets (BIAs, cyclists, pedestrians, cafe owners, EMS workers etc,) so as a group we could reflect on all the competing desires of users.

What was lovely to see was the amount of cyclists out, and the amount of cycling related questions posed to the walk leader.

3rd stop: Withrow Park Strathcona Contraflow bike lane / bike trail through the park.

A question was even raised about how to get better coordination amongst the city departments so  bike lanes don't get closed down to be used as temporary parking, under a film permit.     There were a few shout outs to the City of Toronto's latest bike survey (do it!), and encouraging people to join Cycle Toronto. Although I think if this gets offered next year, we as Ward30bikes should ask the leader to mention our local group.  Joining the city wide cycle advocacy is step 1, finding your local advocacy group that's working locally is step 2 (that, and we're a pretty fun bunch of people!)

Cyclists out for the Jane's Walk

Logan is an interesting street.  The leader talked about how it's an unofficial slow street.  We've got our ideas too that we are advocating to be put into the new City of Toronto Bike Plan.  I live in this neighbourhood, I would say Logan is also an unofficial cycling contraflow street based on the amount of cyclists you see going the wrong way down the street.  That's just how unappealing cycling down Carlaw can be.  

Also, the Riverdale Traffic Calming initiative got some air time on the walk.  Stay tuned for our proposals to make it even better.

So I'd say this was an excellent Jane's Walk for the community, one that I really hope gets run next year too.

W30B Jane's Walk: Connecting Riverdale to the Lake - A Quick Start Proposal

Join Us! Sunday, May 3rd at 10:00 am - Leslie Grove Park (corner of Queen and Jones).

Ward 30 Bikes members Michael Holloway and Don Merriam will lead a walking description and discussion of Ryerson University, School of Urban & Regional Planning, Advanced Planning Studio Fall 2014 Class Report, "Connecting Greater Riverdale to the Lake".

In the report the 4th year Ryerson Planning students identified Leslie Street as a possible Quick Start option - and the only viable connection point from the neighbourhood across Lake Shore Boulevard and the Port Lands to the Waterfront.

Image: Ward 30 Bikes' 2015 Jane's Walk page:

Click: W30B Jane's Walk: Connecting Riverdale to the Lake - A Quick Start Proposal |
http://janeswalk.org/canada/toronto/connecting-riverdale-lake-quick-start-proposal/

(See a write up about a public presentation we held at SRCHC in February of this year: Metro - February 8, 2015 | Toronto cycling group pushing for Riverdale bike lanes | http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1282831/toronto-cycling-group-pushing-for-riverdale-bike-lanes/)

See the full report here in an "Issuu" interface: http://issuu.com/brandonquigley/docs/connecting_greater_riverdale_to_the

Or - Download the .pdf from Ward 30 Bikes' DropBox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/md354m5wm9yekag/Connecting%20Greater%20Riverdale%20to%20the%20Lake_Final%20Report.pdf?dl=0

This Jane's Walk will travel the southern portion of the Quick Start route that the Student team chose.

The walk will begin at Queen St E and Jones Avenue - the point at which the Jones Ave Bike Lanes ends - and then we'll take Rushbrooke down to Eastern Avenue. At this point the route includes a proposed Pedestrian/Cyclist refuge island at the bottom of Rushbrooke between the westerly and the easterly traffic lanes on Eastern Ave - and green painted crossing points connecting it from Rushbrooke to Mosley.

From Mosley down to the south side of the Plaza intersection 'Super Sharrows' is visioned. South of the Plaza Intersection the proposal visions narrowing the existing traffic lanes and turn lanes, and installing 1.5m wide Bike Lane - northbound and southbound.

It's complicated. But it appears to be the best solution so far that doesn't remove traffic lanes or parking.

The walk should take about 1 hour.



W30B Jane's Walk: Connecting Riverdale to the Lake - A Quick Start Proposal |
http://janeswalk.org/canada/toronto/connecting-riverdale-lake-quick-start-proposal/



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Janes Walk: Complete Streets (happening in Ward 30!)

Janes Walk is coming up in a few weeks.  Here is a great walk happening in our Ward: Complete Streets: the policies and designs that make Toronto's Streets

The walk will start on the Danforth and go right down Logan, a street for dear to us

Details:
Saturday May 2nd 11am sharp
Start point: Pape Subway station, Lipton Ave.

Walk is lead by Adam Popper, the City of Toronto's Complete Streets Project Manager.  Read more about the walk here: http://janeswalk.org/canada/toronto/complete-streets-policies-and-designs-make-torontos-streets/

This should be a very interesting walk - hope to see you there!