This morning on CBC Metro morning, Rod McPhail, Toronto's Director of Transportation Planning, spoke about an upcoming report that will make recommendations to the city Works Committee. (Audio is currently on the front page, and will be archived on their site for 5 days). This report will have some items that cyclists and pedestrians will definitely want to pay attention to:
- A major east west route for cyclists through downtown, as cyclists have requested.
- Pedestrian scramble intersections for busy downtown intersections like Bloor and Yonge.
- Round-abouts to be considered for some large suburban intersections.
Rod McPhail admits that the city has been slow to implement the bike plan for a number of reasons. He says bike lanes are controversial, but they're very cheap.
As for the round-abouts, he gives some of the positives, like less idling traffic, but he only hints at the negatives. To paraphrase, the good thing is that traffic never stops moving, and the bad thing is that traffic never stops moving. Obviously, pedestrians and cyclists will need special consideration at the round-abouts.
Bikingtoronto has more details, including a list of the councillors on the Works Committee who will review this report.
As Rod McPhail says in the Globe and Mail article yesterday:
"The public out there has to realize that the way they've been traveling historically ... just cannot continue."
Comments
Martino (not verified)
Ha!
Fri, 09/28/2007 - 10:50Really now, I'll believe it when I see it, if I live that long.
Now, don't get me wrong words are nice but action is better. A. A. Heaps has been bragging all year about 30km of bike lanes going in this year.
"If the transportation department has to spray paint it themselves – you can quote me on this – it's going in," (A. A. Heaps in the The Toronto Star, June 18, 2007)
Where are they? Getting a little late for this year, eh?