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Like in Toronto, almost...

From Streetsblog USA, at this link:

UPS Kicks Off Year-Round E-Trike Delivery Service in Pittsburgh
The company is starting with one trike downtown that can carry 300-400 pounds.

International shipping giant UPS is dipping a toe into pedal-powered delivery in American cities.

Last week, UPS began making deliveries using an electric trike in downtown Pittsburgh. It’s the first U.S. city with year-round UPS e-trike service, according to the Pittsburgh City Paper.

The company also tested e-trike deliveries in Portland during the holiday season last year. In both cities, UPS uses a vehicle made by Portland-based Truck Trike that provides a battery-powered assist.

UPS delivery service by e-bike has been common for several years in European cities, according to spokesperson Deanna Cain. In crowded urban contexts, the smaller vehicles can be more efficient, she said.

Pittsburgh was chosen for its narrow downtown streets, said Cain. “What’s nice about it in a downtown city like Pittsburgh, it can go in the bike lanes, when the bike lanes are widen enough,” she added. “It takes up less space, it’s quick and zero emissions.”

The program in Pittsburgh is small — just one trike that can carry 300-400 pounds. It remains to be seen whether UPS will scale up its use of trikes and get its bulkier trucks off the streets, but Cain said the company is looking to expand the practice in other American cities.
​
 
steveintoronto said:
Put them in the HTA. State the terms of use, and penalties for those who fail to follow the terms. Police would then be obliged to charge motorists and cyclists who fail to comply. And my point isn't just "left turn queue boxes". It's *all of them*. At present, they are only devices of local By-Law, and enforced, if at all, by by-law officers.

Btw: How the US (which is the model Canada copied) counsels local jurisdictions to comply with conditions for bike boxes:

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https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/intersection-treatments/bike-boxes/

Take close note of "shall".

The Cdn, Ontario and Toronto guideline versions state "may".

Frankly, I think many if not most "bike boxes" are dangerous and poorly designed/thought out, but *at the very least* offer protection to those who use them! If cyclists are going to be given a false sense of safety in them, then legislate that sense to make it real. By-Laws are not legislation in the truest sense, they are delegated. Bicycle infrastructure must be recognized under the HTA to offer the safety and enforcement needed since bicycles themselves are recognized explicitly under the HTA.
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All the terms of use I can think of are already enforced under other parts of the HTA.
- Cars can't obstruct the box because doing so would require violating an HTA rule such as the stop line, a posted ROTR prohibition, driving on the wrong side of the road etc.
- There's no need to enforce the bicycle usage of the box, it's just a square of space to wait in. If people want to wait there that's fine, and if they don't that's also fine.

All I'm seeing here is that Page 84 of Book 18 of the Ontario Traffic Manual needs to be corrected to say that a ROTR restriction must be installed, rather than "should be considered".
 
steveintoronto said:
Well that's excellent.

You'll be good enough to quote them?
Click to expand...

Are you implying that any of those rules are not covered by the HTA?
- Vehicles must stop behind the stop line / 'stop here on red' sign
- Vehicles must not ROTR if sign says 'No RTOR'
- Vehicles must drive on the right side of the road
- etc.

I could look them up but honestly I don't think I need to go through that effort.

What exactly is the situation that you want the HTA to prevent, that isn't already prevented by the HTA. I do not understand.
 
reaperexpress said:
What exactly is the situation that you want the HTA to prevent, that isn't already prevented by the HTA. I do not understand.
Click to expand...

Here's the City of Toronto *BYLAW* section that deals with cycling infrastructure. First page of forty-five is quoted, please access and do some reading. I've researched this, and had cops and others assure me of the veracity of my observations. The reason I can't find these covered in the HTA is because *they're not there*...and cops don't enforce By-Laws, unless seconded to doing so in special situations. In some cases, like entry of premises, By-Law officers have more power than the police in Ontario. (Police require a warrant, or else it's illegal entry, and their case collapses)
TORONTO MUNICIPAL CODE
CHAPTER 886, FOOTPATHS, PEDESTRIAN WAYS, BICYCLE PATHS, BICYCLE
LANES
AND CYCLE TRACKS
Chapter 886
FOOTPATHS, PEDESTRIAN WAYS, BICYCLE PATHS
, BICYCLE LANES
AND
CYCLE TRACKS
1
ARTICLE I
Definitions
§ 886-
1. Definitions.
ARTICLE II
Footpaths
§ 886-
2. Paths established.
§ 886-
3. Vehicles excluded; exceptions.
ARTICLE III
Pedestrian Ways
§ 886-
4. Pedestrian ways established.
§ 886-
5. Vehicles excluded; exceptions.
ARTICLE IV
Bicycle Paths
§ 886-
6. Paths established.
§ 886-
7. Exemptions.
ARTICLE V
Bicycle Lanes
§ 886-
8. Lanes
designated for the use of bicycles only.
§ 886-
9. Signs; power to regulate traffic not affected.
§ 886-
10. Operation and stopping of vehicles restricted.
§ 886-
11. Exemptions.
11
Editor's Note: By
-law 1291
-2012 has received set fine approval
and came into force January 23, 2014.
886-
1
August 28
, 2017
[...continues for another 45 pages...]
Click to expand...
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_886.pdf

Here's the points elucidated in an article:
The rules of the Toronto bike lane are, let's face it, unclear. Most cyclists don't know which vehicles are legally allowed to be stopped or parked in the bike lane. Contrary to popular belief, even dedicated bike lanes aren't off-limits to all motorized vehicles.

The lack of clearly posted rules is coupled with a dearth of visible enforcement, but the biggest scofflaws — delivery van drivers and moving companies, judging from angry tweets — seem able to dodge enforcement officers with relative ease.

Coming straight from the City of Toronto bylaw, here are the rules of the Toronto bike lane. Note that the rules differ slightly for painted and separated bike lanes, like on Sherbourne and Wellesley.

Who can block painted bike lanes?
Only bicycles and e-bikes are permitted to use on-street, painted cycle lanes in Toronto, except for in a few unusual circumstances.

Ambulances, police or fire service vehicles, or any other vehicles actively engaged in responding to an emergency, are exempt from parking, driving, and operating rules, so are active city, TTC, and public utility vehicles. Everyone else has to stay out.

At the approach to intersections, turning vehicles are permitted to move over and occupy the bike lane.

Who can stop in painted bike lanes?
Vehicles loading or unloading a person with a disability, school buses picking up or dropping off kids, and, yes, taxis collecting or depositing passengers are all allowed to stop in the bike lane. No vehicles are permitted to drive for more than 45 metres in these areas, however.

Who can block separated bike tracks?
Only pedal-powered bicycles are permitted to use separated bike lanes. Wheel-Trans vehicles operated or licensed by the TTC are allowed to use the track area for loading and unloading passengers. Emergency response vehicles, City of Toronto vehicles, or vehicles parked as part of public utility work are similarly exempt from the rules.

Who can stop in separated bike tracks?
No vehicle (except the ones listed above) is allowed to stop in a separated bike lane. Not taxis, not delivery vehicles, not moving vans. In fact, the only time a vehicle is allowed to pass through a separated lane is when the driver is accessing a driveway, parking lot, laneway, or side street.

Transit stops
On Sherbourne and Roncesvalles, the bike lane cuts directly in front of several TTC stops. When a bus or streetcar is waiting with its doors open, cyclists must wait at least two metres back from the rear doors and allow passengers to enter or exit.

Fines
Any person operating an unauthorized vehicle in the bike lane, contrary to the rules set out in the city bylaw, is subject to a fine of $150. Illegally parking or stopping in a bike lane or separated lane also attracts a fine of $150.
Click to expand...
http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/06/what_exactly_are_the_rules_of_the_bike_lane_in_toronto/
 
Last edited:
Update on the Bellevue-Denison contra-flow that was just finished, from Cressy's latest newsletter:

I'm thrilled that the installation of our Bellevue-Dension contraflow bike lane in Queen West and Kensington Market has now finished!

Approved by Council earlier this year, this contraflow lane is a critical part of building our cycling grid, specifically with respect to important north-south connections and a link between the College Street bike lanes and Richmond-Adelaide cycle tracks. The final stage of the lanes just North of Queen Street will be completed early next year, once the construction of the parkette at Queen and Denison is complete.

Thank you to all the residents and local businesses for their hard work to make this project happen.

I rode them today; it actually makes for a very nice N-S connection for the Kensington-College-Queen nexus.
 
ADRM said:
Update on the Bellevue-Denison contra-flow that was just finished, from Cressy's latest newsletter:

I'm thrilled that the installation of our Bellevue-Dension contraflow bike lane in Queen West and Kensington Market has now finished!

Approved by Council earlier this year, this contraflow lane is a critical part of building our cycling grid, specifically with respect to important north-south connections and a link between the College Street bike lanes and Richmond-Adelaide cycle tracks. The final stage of the lanes just North of Queen Street will be completed early next year, once the construction of the parkette at Queen and Denison is complete.

Thank you to all the residents and local businesses for their hard work to make this project happen.

I rode them today; it actually makes for a very nice N-S connection for the Kensington-College-Queen nexus.
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This will be really helpful for cyclists.

Here are some pictures.

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Credit: https://twitter.com/TO_Cycling/status/930473304154140672
 

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There's quite a number of those streets, especially the ones with traffic mazes of one-ways, that contras make legal cycling much easier. Euclid immediately comes to mind since I'm working on a job there and cycle there and back. Surprisingly, drivers are far more accommodating on the contra-lanes than they are on the main roads, perhaps because they're locals, and not in a rush so much.
 
Bellevue-Denison is better than nothing I guess. Shame our imperfect grid doesn't allow a network and a connection to main routes of Richmond and Adelaide isn't possible.
 
Avenue said:
Bellevue-Denison is better than nothing I guess. Shame our imperfect grid doesn't allow a network and a connection to main routes of Richmond and Adelaide isn't possible.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the 10-year plan won't get us anywhere close to a minimum grid, so little improvements like this are really important ways to improve the general state of things.

I think, given the obvious failings of the 10-year plan, working with individual downtown councillors to get small wins like this is the most realistic way to continue to build the network.

What's absolutely bonkers is that if you strip out streets covered by the major corridor studies, the only planned on-road physically separated bike infrastructure left in the 10-year plan are for a tiny stretch of College. Nothing else left for downtown.
 
There are a couple more planned through other avenues not covered in the 10 year plan - University Avenue, the Lake Shore Cycle Track, etc.

But yes, beyond Yonge and Bloor, nothing much is planned for the immediate downtown. Projects like the King Pilot study have vastly improved the cycling experience though even without dedicated lanes.
 
Used to be that there were gasoline stations at almost every other block. With free air. (But never on a Sunday or after 7PM, in the old city of Toronto.) At least with the air compressors close by, we could inflate our pneumatic tires without cost (then the other inflation came along).

What we have missing in our cycling infrastructure are bicycle repair stations or kiosks. Maybe starting with the remaining gasoline stations and maybe at entrances to bicycle paths or parks, the city could put in some kiosks for quick repairs of bicycles?

bike_repair.jpg


Maybe with vending machines?
0a9ebf66157350706e053a31e83b3919.jpg


DSC05471.jpg

Bike-Fixtation-2.jpg


See link.

 
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