TTC installing bike ramps at subway stations

Wallace Ave. pedestrian bridge bike rampWallace Ave. pedestrian bridge bike ramp

The Toronto Star is reporting that the TTC plans to install bike ramps along stairways in certain subway stations as part of ongoing renovation projects. The ramps would be similar to the ones on the Wallace Ave. pedestrian bridge in the photo. If these are successful, they will implement them as standard practice at all stations.

There is much more to do in Toronto to make public transit more accessible to cyclists, but this is a small step in the right direction.

vic : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: ramp, subway, TTC

All clear in the bike lanes?

Bloor Viaduct Feb. 25, 2008Bloor Viaduct Feb. 25, 2008
Hamish took this photo on Feb 25, 2008. The same day I went to College street and the situation had not been fixed either for much of College street. Same on Harbord as Wes pointed out to me in an email that morning.
Clearly the bike lane on the viaduct is being used as the snow dump and subsequent ice melting section. The real message about cycling in Toronto as far as the city is concerned is in how it treats cyclists and the facilities that exist.

tino : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: bike infrastructure, bike lanes, ice, politics, snow

Bike Trail Hacking

I've heard of many mountain bike trail building efforts within the City of Toronto, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, but this example of railway underpass / bridge building on the Don River is the most interesting one yet.

It consists of a wooden trestle about 15 m long and about 75 cm wide. It extends from one side of the bridge to the other. It is low enough for a biker but I had to duck my head when I walked along it. It is solidly built and creatively uses available space. the bridge is resting on poured concrete pilings that are sitting on rocks that were already there. From some of the comments I've read on the biker forums it took 40 bags of cement to build.

More details over at the Don Watcher blog.

vic : 18 years 1 month ago
Tags: don valley, mountaing biking, trails