Danish Wisdom

In the Globe and Mail today: A two-wheel solution to a more livable city

Vancouver receives sage advice from Copenhagen via urbanist Jan Gehl.

If the arguments for increasing urban bicycle use are this powerful, why are so many cities having such a hard time setting aside guaranteed bike routes and lanes - making them the transport mode of choice, for work and leisure? ...

Unlike the Burrard Bridge test, "You have do things gradually, so that motorists don't realize what has been taken away from them," said Mr. Gehl...

Not that I would risk telling Toronto to slow down.

Copenhagen compliments its pro-bike policies with some hand-in-glove land use rules. New development zones need to have a 50-50 balance of work and living spaces, which makes for more lively streets, and makes the possibility of bicycle-based commuting much more of a reality. To do what Copenhagen has done, Vancouver would have to ban all further condo construction for the relatively few remaining large sites...

It's nice advice for a city that's infilling, like Toronto. Why not growing cities too, like Aurora, Milton, Whitby and Brampton? I'll keep dreaming.

darren : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: copenhagen, development, vancouver, zoning

Cyclists Dismount

Cyclists DismountCyclists Dismount

Back in January I noticed that these "Cyclists Dismount" signs were added along the Bloor St. sidewalk by the railway underpasses between Lansdowne Ave. and Dundas St. West.

I don't necessarily have a problem with telling cyclists to dismount while riding on sidewalks. After all, sidewalks are meant for pedestrians, and I have personally had some close encounters with sidewalk cyclists along here. It's especially dangerous to pedestrians stepping out from the Bloor GO train station.

However, these signs may be an indication of a bigger issue. Many cyclists hit the sidewalk when riding through these underpasses because they fear for their safety on the road. I often see cyclists ride on the road along Bloor St., only to hop up on the curb when they reach the underpasses.

I can understand why cyclists might want to do that.

From the Don Valley to Central Parkway in Mississauga, this is definitely the worst part of Bloor St., for many reasons (Ok, Six Points stinks too). But for cyclists in particular, the problems are:

  • Between Dundas and Lansdowne, Bloor St. opens up into four lanes of fast-moving traffic. The only bit of traffic calming is the traffic light at Symington Ave.
  • The pavement is awful.
  • Motorists seem to speed through here in a race to arrive first at the next pinch point in the road.
  • When you're down in the underpasses, there's no chance to "escape" to a sidewalk in an emergency.
  • It can be difficult and dangerous to make a proper vehicular left turn off of Bloor St.

It's no wonder that cyclists take to the sidewalks here. But instead of hanging up some signs to address the symptoms, maybe something can be done to address the actual problems of the dangerous and scary roadway?

vic : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: bloor, infrastructure, signs, Ward 18

Will a 'strong' mayor hold up bikes?

The City of Toronto Official Plan envisions a city where active transportation helps to relieve congestion and improve air quality. Yet, right now less than 2 per cent of the City of Toronto Transportation budget is dedicated to walking and cycling infrastructure.

Now is your opportunity to let the city know that it needs to treat cycling as a serious form of transportation.

Tomorrow, Thursday March 6th, the City of Toronto's budget committee will meet to wrap up the 2008 Operating Budget. The Operating Budget pays for the staff that runs programs and services. For several years now cycling activists have been trying to get increases in this area without success. Although we welcome the 2008 capital budget increase in transportation services from $3.0 million to $5.5 million for cycling infrastructure (needed to install the substantial increased amount of 50 km of on-street bike lanes scheduled for this year) it is now time to ask that the cycling safety, education and promotion programs also receive a similar much-needed boost.

Martin Koob of biketoronto.ca has posted a succinct summary here. It includes an outline of the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation's (TCAT) bike-related recommendations.

They asked council to:

  • Double the current funding dedicated to cycling promotion, safety and education staff and programs – like Bike Month and Kids CAN-Bike Camps – from $164,000 to $328,000 in the City Planning operating budget.
  • Fund a full-time trails and pathways planner to coordinate the planning, consultation, construction and maintenance of bikeway network infrastructure projects in Toronto’s parks – approximately $80,000 in the Parks, Forestry and Recreation operating budget.

Read TCAT's full letter to the Budget Committee here.

As a member of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee I wrote a letter in support of increasing funding for Kid's CAN-BIKE Camp. The camp has been an overwhelming success, garnering awards and nothing but positive feedback. In our attempt at creating a healthy city, I believe it is crucial that we teach young people that cycling is not only a viable, but also valuable form of transportation. The camp expansion plan focuses on the city's priority neighbourhoods.

To say that the Parks portion of the Bike Plan is way behind schedule is an understatement. Although it is heartening that the city now has a plan to get the on-street portion of the Bike Plan back on track, the Parks portion of the Bike Plan (off-road trails) isn't even scheduled -- let alone funded -- to be completed on time.

So, will a 'strong' mayor hold up bikes?

The Deputy Director of Communications in the Mayor's office, Stuart Green, says that when the Transit City plan is finalized the capital plan will include bike lanes. (The Metrolinx discussion paper on active transportation is available here.)

"We are hopeful that we can include other streetscape improvements (bike lanes, sidewalks, trees) in the transit project budget," says Green when asked if the Transit City funding would help to cover the cost of bike lanes. He added, "The delays in bike lane implementation in the past were due less to a shortage of money than to organized opposition using the consultation process to stall projects. We have focused on improving the process which should allow more money to be spent in the future."

The recent streamlining of the bike lane approval process (see City Council decision documents, January 29 - 30 pages 4 - 5) is exactly why we now need to talk about an increase in funding. Now that we’ve (hopefully) eliminated the mechanism for endless ‘push back’, we will need a steady -- and steadily increasing -- amount of funding to complete Bike Plan on time. It takes money and staff time to get the paint on the ground, and as the city plans to install 75 km in 2009 and 90 km each year following to completion, I think it is absolutely reasonable to inquire as to the commitment for that funding.

But, for now, let's focus on the 2008 Operating Budget -- this Thursday is the best opportunity to ask that these bike-related improvements be included.

Once the Budget Committee finalizes the budget on Thursday it will be forwarded to the Executive Committee for its approval on March 25th and then on to City Council for final approval on March 31st.

Shelley Carroll, Chair councillor_carroll@toronto.ca
Paul Ainslie councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
Maria Augimeri councillor_augimeri@toronto.ca
A. A. Heaps councillor_heaps@toronto.ca
Joe Mihevc councillor_mihevc@toronto.ca
Gord Perks councillor_perks@toronto.ca
Kyle Rae councillor_rae@toronto.ca

With special thanks to Martin Koob at biketoronto.ca

Crossposted to Spacing.ca/wire.

tammy : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: advocacy, budget, children, city hall, funding, Parks, trails