Cycle 26, a group of Ward 26 cycling advocates, copied me on a report they recently submitted to the City. Ward 26 is what normal people consider the inner suburbs. It includes Leaside, Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park; a very ethnically and economically-diverse ward. It includes the Don Trail as well as a number of planned routes in the Bike Plan, most of which are not close to being implemented. Thus the report (see attached).
From Cycle 26 member, Geoff Kettel:
Dan Egan, Manager, Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure at the City of Toronto spoke to the Leaside Property Owners Assn (LPOA) AGM on Wednesday and indicated the report would be used to assist in prioritizing work for 2009. We will be watching!! Councillor Parker also sounded supportive.
We are proposing to meet in January with TCU cycling coordinators from the adjoining wards - actually the central east region from Yonge to Victoria Park and from Steeles down to the waterfront. Cycling does not work unless it is linked in with routes across a wider area.
Cycle 26's steering committee is composed of Geoff Kettel, Brian Betsworth, Louis Fliss and Ian Hallett. Let's hope this spurs some changes in Ward 26!
Comments
Luke Siragusa
Pathetic
Sun, 12/14/2008 - 10:27From the report:
For #%^% sakes. How difficult is it to spill some paint and hang some signs?
Theo1 (not verified)
CAA misses out
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 18:40Overlea Blvd. is quite easily the worst road (maybe tied with bloor between jarvis and avenue) in Toronto.
It is a diamond lane, yet it is worn, full of potholes, and there is an incline from over use that pushes cyclists into the curb.
the TTC drivers however are very courteous when you take up their whole diamond lane.
it needs way more than paint....it needs repaving
wait why would the city repair roads around apartment buildings where new immigrants live? I bet the interlocking on Post Rd. doesn't shift!
what's the word for that? geographic racism? BINGO!
Hans Foote (not verified)
Interlockosis
Tue, 12/30/2008 - 16:12"Neo Interlockosis Geographicanius"...
Neesan Toes (not verified)
...ish
Tue, 12/30/2008 - 16:15... "ish"
vic
Town Crier covers Ward 26
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:06The Town Crier has an article today about the efforts in Ward 26:
http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?direction=viewstory&storyid=...
AnnieD
Trail along railway line
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:58I live near Ossington and Dupont, and once/week work at BloorviewKids Rehab (N. or Eglinton and Laird). A car-free trail along the railway tracks? Sign me up, I'm there! I know there were plans to have a trail from the Junction to Avenue at one point, but these were dropped even as the West end railpath proceeded along. I'll send a note to the Ward 26 councillor to show my support, but it would be great if the trail could be extended...
vic
Dupont Rail Trail?
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 17:15That would be pretty sweet having a trail along the railway just north of Dupont. Not sure how easy it would be though. Like the southern part o the Railpath, the City doesn't own the land, and I'm not sure you could squeeze in a path for much of the length either.
Also, it's a really busy corridor...and if GO starts servicing a mid-town station, even busier at rush hour. The corridor's usage probably won't be shrinking anytime soon.
We need to take more space away from cars, not trains. ;-)
AnnieD
Re: Dupont Rail Trail
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 20:27Here's the only site I found that made any mention of a bike path along the Dupont railway:
http://www.digin.ca/digin_bikepaths.html
"CP Railway Road
Explore creating a walking and bike path along the private railway controlled road that follows the east/west CP railway line just north of Dupont Street. An unused railway line begins at St.Clarens Ave. just north of Dupont and turns into a gravel road at Bartlett Street, the road continues east for miles."
There's no date on this webpage, so I have no idea how current the information is. New bridges would be needed since the existing rail bridges aren't wide enough to accomodate a path.
With the bike lanes on Davenport, a bike path along the tracks here is less of a priority than simply extending a railpath in S. Leaside to connect with the bike lane on Davenport at Dupont. It would provide a much needed East-West connection.