[carrefour]

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/437325

Annette bike lanes spark bickering
Proposal to add dedicated route for cyclists on Annette St. meets with merchants' resistance

Jun 05, 2008 04:30 AM
Vanessa Lu
city hall bureau chief

The humble bike lane brings out passionate neighbourhood fights.

And the battle over installing one along Annette St. in the city's west end illustrates why Toronto's ambitious cycling plan has proceeded at such a painfully slow pace.

The plan to take out a lane of traffic and add dedicated bike lanes pitted cyclists against merchants yesterday, and an attempted compromise meant no one was happy.

The original proposal had the bike lane running from Jane St. east to Dupont St. and Lansdowne Ave., but after community complaints, city staff came up with an alternative: Between Jane and Runnymede – the main commercial strip – cyclists would be detoured one block north to St. John's Rd., to avoid interfering with parking.

But after further consultations, the city is still considering installing bike lanes along the original Annette St. proposal in the fall.

"If we prioritize parking over bike lanes, we will never be a green city," cycling advocate Helen Armstrong told the committee. "A small minority of people are managing to veto the bike lane plan."

Under the city's bike plan, adopted in 2001, more than 1,000 kilometres of bike lanes and paths are to be built over 10 years. Currently, the city has only 380 km of bike lanes, shared roadways and off-road paths. This year, 50 km are planned, plus 70 km next year.

George Harasymowycz, co-owner with wife Rose Marie of the garden shop Windergarden, spoke on behalf of area merchants, arguing bike lanes would hurt small businesses and increase dangers by forcing delivery trucks to use side streets.

"I don't think the councillors are interested in consultations," he said, adding that it seemed they were trying to give the impression of seeking input, but in the end would put in the bike lanes.

"There is no business on Annette St. that is anti-bike, but there are a lot of bike people who are anti-car," Rose Marie said.

Cycling advocates argue reducing traffic will result in more pedestrians and cyclists actually stopping to buy. Councillor Adrian Heaps, who chairs the cycling committee, conceded there's often neighbourhood resistance to bike lanes. "The Business Improvement Associations have to have some faith that we make decisions in their best interest," he said.

The Annette St. bike lane was the only controversial proposal. Others planned for Marlee Ave. and Pharmacy Ave. were easily approved.

The proposals still need approval from city council later this month.

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Why does any change involving environmentally-friendlier transportation result in cries of businesses going under ?

 

[RedRocket191]

Studies that I have seen have shown that the mode of transport that people take is heavily influenced by the availability of free parking at the destination.

If parking is unavailable, travellers will use another means to get there, or they will go somewhere else. After the parking is removed business will decline, but in the end I do believe that customers will either come back or new customers will come (in this case, cyclists. In St. Clair's case, transit riders).

The problem is many of these places are mom-and-pop shops that are just making ends meet. Some cannot survive a single month of downturn, let alone a two or three year period of disruption. If you're in that situation, I don't blame a businesses for fearing anything that will take away customers.

We have to reassure people that business will increase once the project has been implemented, and we need to provide financial support to business who simply won't be able to survive the temporary disruption. Maybe we need the province or the feds to offer a tax credit to businesses affected by construction projects or transit improvements. Conservative governments tend to be pro-business, so this is something that, in my opinion, they could easily support.

 

[Joe]

It's obviously going to take a while until people start to realize that car traffic is not the be all and end all of supporting a business.

Bikelanes will make this stretch of Annette more pedestrian friendly, because cars will go a bit slower... and unless anyone shows studies to prove otherwise, most cars on Annette are using it as a conduit to somewhere else, not as a destination. Most of the business these Mom & Pop shops get are foot traffic - and they should be encouraging more of it as gas prices rise.

Also, it's not as if all the parking is being taken out... all I can find in various Public Works and Infrastructure documents is that "some" would be taken out.... probably only a few spaces.

 

[Panzerfaust]

I bet these businesses will be thrilled in a few short years when nobody is visiting their shops because A) nobody can afford to drive there and B) there is no alternative way of getting to them in any reasonable amount of time.

 

[adma]

Besides, other than at the Jane and Runnymede ends, there isn't really much "commercial strip" to speak of on that stretch of Annette--and it isn't like side-street parking would be at a Bloor West-esque premium up here, either...

 

[TKTKTK]

What's the big deal in moving the bike lane up a block within the heaviest commercial section?

There'll still be an effective bike route across the city, and it shouldn't add more than 2 to 5 minutes to the travel time.

 

[junctionist]

What's the big deal in moving the bike lane up a block within the heaviest commercial section?

There'll still be an effective bike route across the city, and it shouldn't add more than 2 to 5 minutes to the travel time.

It won't be. A bike lane should not force cyclists to change the road simply for the convenience of drivers. If a cyclist wants to patronize those businesses, they're going to need to travel there. The most vulnerable users of the road should get adequate accommodation. That encourages cycling not just to parks for the occasional recreational ride, but for daily tasks.

 

[CDL.TO]

No cyclist is going to alter their route just so they can follow a road with a bike lane.

There'll still be an effective bike route across the city, and it shouldn't add more than 2 to 5 minutes to the travel time.

Errr... If we remove the Gardiner between Jarvis and the DVP there'll still be an effective car route across the city, and it shouldn't add more than 2 to 5 minutes to the travel time.

 

[TKTKTK]

It won't be. A bike lane should not force cyclists to change the road simply for the convenience of drivers. If a cyclist wants to patronize those businesses, they're going to need to travel there. The most vulnerable users of the road should get adequate accommodation. That encourages cycling not just to parks for the occasional recreational ride, but for daily tasks.

It sounds like the reason the bike lane was being redirected was at the request of the business owners who worried they would lose business. Or is that just some plot by drivers, too?

I agree that cyclists need infrastructure and need adequate accomodation. I'm not understanding why cycling a block north is undermining that?

 

[TKTKTK]

Errr... If we remove the Gardiner between Jarvis and the DVP there'll still be an effective car route across the city, and it shouldn't add more than 2 to 5 minutes to the travel time.

Well, then you must support this idea too!

 

[CDL.TO]

Well, then you must support this idea too!

Meh, don't really care too much. Like I said, a cyclist isn't going to alter their route (off of Annette) just so they can follow a road with a bike lane. Annette's a pretty calm street as is. I don't really understand the point of putting bike lanes on side streets anyway.

 

[TKTKTK]

Meh, don't really care too much. Like I said, a cyclist isn't going to alter their route (off of Annette) just so they can follow a road with a bike lane. Annette's a pretty calm street as is. I don't really understand the point of putting bike lanes on side streets anyway.

Then the cyclists who don't feel they need a lane to safely move with traffic can continue straight along, while those who feel they need the extra buffer space will make the detour. I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[junctionist]

It sounds like the reason the bike lane was being redirected was at the request of the business owners who worried they would lose business. Or is that just some plot by drivers, too?

I agree that cyclists need infrastructure and need adequate accomodation. I'm not understanding why cycling a block north is undermining that?

The infrastructure should actually get cyclists to useful places like businesses. Those business owners are overreacting.

On a street like St. Johns, traffic moves slower and there's less of it. There's no need for the lanes. Annette is a different kind of roadway, an important route for cyclists because of the businesses, churches, and housing. It's far more useful, and in this it promotes cycling. It is on Annette where cyclists needed to be accommodated. What happens to the cyclists who feel they need the extra buffer space but need to visit those businesses? My guess is that there's a lot of people living in the area in this situation.

 

[CDL.TO]

Then the cyclists who don't feel they need a lane to safely move with traffic can continue straight along, while those who feel they need the extra buffer space will make the detour. I don't see anything wrong with that.

I'm glad that you agree. Just like with Gardiner drivers. Those who still find it quicker to deal with a few traffic lights will continue straight along, while those headed through will detour via the 427 and 401. I don't see anything wrong with that either.

In both cases, it's worth assessing what will be healthier for assuring a vibrant local neighbourhood.

 

[TKTKTK]

What happens to the cyclists who feel they need the extra buffer space but need to visit those businesses? My guess is that there's a lot of people living in the area in this situation.

Well the street doesn't become bike-free, it just doesn't have a bike lane. Cyclists will cycle to those businesses. They'll either take the bike lane detour a block away, and then cycle down at the nearest point, or they'll cycle along Annette.

Bike lanes are for the protection of pedestrians as much as for cyclists. They're still important, even on quiet streets - especially if the bike traffic is going to be substantial.