P-gates are back at Ontario Place
In the last few days, the P-gates on the Martin Goodman have been swung shut at the Ontario Place crossings. Essentially, this means that the Martin Goodman is constrained to half-width on either side of the intersection, with the P-gates funneling everyone through the middle part of the trail.
So not only do we have to deal with cars turning from Lake Shore without looking, a sharp curve either side of the intersections, and a bump, we can now dodge the arms of the P-gates (and dodge other trail users dodging the arms as well) for a bit of an additional challenge. Obviously someone at the City or Ontario Place figured that everything would be "safer" with the P-gates closed. Maybe they were open just to allow the snow-clearing equipment through.
Having gone through this kind of battle over the Boulevard Club bollards, I wonder if there is anything we can do about this nonsense. I can just see Peter Egan saying "I rode through there today, and it was perfectly safe."
The City's story is that bollards and gates are needed to keep cars from driving up onto the trail. What's the last time, other than around the CNE and Air Show, that you've seen cars tootling along the Martin Goodman? The Palais Royale was an offender, but they've cleaned up their act in the past year.
My answer is that I'm a lot more worried about an accident as cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, and walkers dodge through the P-gates, than I am about encountering a surprise car on the trail.
And this morning, the P-gates are in the open position for the middle and eastern crossings; only the west-end crossing has the gates in the blocking-half-of-each-side-of-the-path position.
When I rode home last night, both gates are closed again.
This is Michael Layton's riding. Anyone who is in his riding write to him about this. also send it to Dan Egan. This should not be happening
I have always thought that a bit of pavement on the outside of the P gates would help. The grass always gets worn away there anyways. It would still prevent cars from entering and slow cyclists down near the intersections. But without the extra hazard of path narrowing and head- on weaving.
The gates are closed yesterday and today. To clear the gate to my right, I have to ride really close to the centreline. I don't think there would be room enough to clear a bicycle going the other way. And that's just clearing the P-gate, not really safely clearing the P-gate. To do so, I'd just ride right down the centreline.
The P-gates also make it harder to maintain a safe line across a couple of the intersections.
Mind you, I don't think complaining about this will do anything. Some people on City staff obviously figured the P-gates were a good idea, and the City spent good money installing them. (If they are $2000 each installed, then we're talking $24,000 worth of infrastructure.) How do we convince them that the P-gates are a bad idea, when obviously they have their professional expertise invested in them?
On the other hand, when I rode past, it didn't look like the gates were locked into place with anything really elaborate and foolproof. Swinging them open would be easy enough for City staff to do....
We need to call 311. Supposedly in Rob Ford's Toronto when enough people complain about something action takes place to rectify the situation
Around Ontario Place has been a problem off and on for years.Anyone remember the closed gates that forced everyone onto sidewalks a few years back? Their excuse then is bikes were getting in the way of their real customers cars. It was one of the reasons given for the new path past Ontario Place. Ontario Plce has never been cycling friendly.
A few nights ago, on a foggy night, I noticed they had been closed. I stopped an opened a few of them, as the pins were not secured, and the gates were a bit tricky to see in the fog, even with the reflective tape.
I don't think they were closed by the city of Toronto. The pins that hold the gates in place have been wired shut with some wire scraps loosely twisted on. That mess has then been covered in what looks like glue or paste.
I really think it's someone locally, who's trying to limit the use of the paths, or perhaps get people to slow down while using the paths. I've noticed a few new/official signs out on the west end of the trail advising cyclists to slow down.
I think wiring the gates shut is counter productive for whoever is doing it, as it makes things a lot riskier for everyone when people try to squeeze through the choke points.
I can see having gates that are occasionally closed during big events when they are worried about people trying to illegally park on the path, but for the most part, they should remain open.
The gates have been closed again at Ontario Place. Last week The Fixer did an article about them in the Star. It looked like it had worked. They were opened again. This morning coming to work they were once again closed.
Essentially, these gates narrow the trail to one bike at a time through the gates. It is a hazard. It is shameful that so much money can be spent to make the trail more user friendly, then have it negated by these gates.
And an unfortunate update....
This morning the gates are all closed and padlocked. They were all open late last week, which I didn't post here because I wasn't sure exactly how official the opening was. Well, obviously, the City does not approve of the gates being open, and to make sure that no one opens them the pin for every gate has a nice big Master padlock on them today.
When City staff figure they have devised a Smart Plan (TM) to Protect Our Hard-Cycling Families (TM), then obviously they are right and cyclists who doubt the smartness of the plan are wrong and that's that.
I look forward to the Transportation department making Toronto's most dangerous vehicular intersections safer by putting in metal gates in the lanes, narrowing the approaching streets to a narrow slot where there's no room to safely clear a single oncoming vehicle. That will make those intersections a lot safer. At present, Transportation lives in ignorance by trying to "improve" these interesections by making them wider and improving the sightlines. Obviously they haven't yet learned the wisdom of the Parks department which has implemented the P-gates for cyclists!
Last week after they were opened both @DuncansCityRide and @TrafficServices confirmed that they would stay open, so I don't know what the hell happened. I sent more e-mails. Hopefully it's just a mistake by a misinformed underling. Ugh.