[mickael]

suuuuuper relevant dragging race into the matter as seems to be so fashionable these days, GG @robmausser lmfao

If most people using Toronto's publicly owned golf courses belong to a group of people who don't represent the actual city, then that needs to be addressed. Just because you have issues with people addressing instances in which white people are prevalent doesn't mean you have to make these weird comments. Think about how the city is hugely diverse, and how these golf clubs are not. It's not an edgy comment, it's a fair point.

EDIT: I'll add, cycling is predominantly a white-mans game. This is also a problem, believe it or not.

 

[Undead]

No it doesn't need to be addressed and it's not a problem. The onus is on the one claiming race is a problem to demonstrate that is the case. However, most of what this side of the aisle has presented in recent years is mindless emoting devoid of evidence (and often contrary to it).

Believe it or not, you can make the argument that privilege can cause problems for the public good without sounding like a 1950s troll. The hyper focus on race in every instance is the truly deranged part, not my comment.

Thankfully, many people are waking up to the dangers of this toxicity. But it's a shame that many good initiatives like transit, biking etc are tainted by this association and will be caught in the push back.

 

[mickael]

No it doesn't need to be addressed and it's not a problem. The onus is on the one claiming race is a problem to demonstrate that is the case. However, most of what this side of the aisle has presented in recent years is mindless emoting devoid of evidence (and often contrary to it).

Believe it or not, you can make the argument that privilege can cause problems for the public good without sounding like a 1950s troll. The hyper focus on race in every instance is the truly deranged part, not my comment.

Thankfully, many people are waking up to the dangers of this toxicity. But it's a shame that many good initiatives like transit, biking etc are tainted by this association and will be caught in the push back.

I think you're wrong, and by complaining about people complaining about white people you come across like the 50s troll.

The city isn't a white city, but white people utilize public space disproportionatly. To not address this would be disingenuous, despite your white fragility.

 

[Divas S.]

just say you don't want to combat and deal with racism and go

 

[Undead]

If you can't make an argument without bringing race into it, you're part of the problem. Just accept that and go. Thankfully, this urbanist community is very insular and the general public tends to be more enlightened on this issue.

I think you're wrong, and by complaining about people complaining about white people you come across like the 50s troll.

The city isn't a white city, but white people utilize public space disproportionatly. To not address this would be disingenuous, despite your white fragility.

You're very good at regurgitating the stuff you've been fed in your university class, but you have no idea how misled you have been lol

 

[Northern Light]

No it doesn't need to be addressed and it's not a problem. The onus is on the one claiming race is a problem to demonstrate that is the case. However, most of what this side of the aisle has presented in recent years is mindless emoting devoid of evidence (and often contrary to it).

Believe it or not, you can make the argument that privilege can cause problems for the public good without sounding like a 1950s troll. The hyper focus on race in every instance is the truly deranged part, not my comment.

Thankfully, many people are waking up to the dangers of this toxicity. But it's a shame that many good initiatives like transit, biking etc are tainted by this association and will be caught in the push back.

Lets begin here if I may.

There is no 'aisle'.

That is a U.S. political reference to dividing 2 political parties.

Aside from the fact that we have more contending parties in Canada; this issue isn't partisan political in an intrinsic sense.

To be sure; one party, particularly at the Federal level, in Canada is known for being a bit cantankerous when it comes to addressing systemic problems afflicting particular communities.

However, that view is not really linked to their political ideological preferences, but rather to over-indulging in populist tropes.

*****

Second, this comment to which you originally reacted was really more observational than anything.

It wasn't a screed against white people, or old people, or rich people, it was observation that people who happen to have those characteristics make up the majority of golfers, and that self-evidently they form a small, but politically advantaged, segment of the overall population.

That happens to be accurate. Sure, one could repeat the same line without the word 'white' and it would still be accurate. But one could say the same of removing the word men, or the word rich.

You don't seem to have your back up about the use of those terms, though they are equally apt, and describe a demographic segment of the population.

*****

I get where sometimes media or people express opinions on such things in an inflammatory way; or one that somehow seems to blame a particular demographic for the problems of another.

That can be a problem; though its usually one of poor word choice rather than substantive error.

Regardless...............that wasn't present in the post to which you responded.

Your snark doesn't seem well placed here.

 

[Admiral Beez]

What the hell happened here? How did a chat about bike lanes turn into a matter of race?

 

[PinkLucy]

Exactly. Back to the bike lanes.

 

[Undead]

@Northern Light finally, a reasonable take unlike the deeply problematic (and not merely observational as the take I responded to).

quick add: if all progressives (and their detractors) argued like this, we'd be in a much better place; more power to you!

 

[Northern Light]

Survey up on the City's website concerning the Danforth Complete Street (including Cycle Track); and the Planning study covering the Broadview to Coxwell portion.

You can skip the Planning portion if you wish.

Total survey time is a bit long at 15-20m.

So if you want to support the Bike lanes, this would be a good time to do that.

Also a chance to submit suggestions on how to further refine/improve this project.

Danforth Avenue Complete Street and Planning Study

The City of Toronto is undertaking a Complete Street and Planning Study of Danforth Avenue, one of the most recognizable and major avenues in the City. The full study area will span a six kilometre stretch of Danforth Avenue between Broadview Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue. Within that stretch...

www.toronto.ca

On the complete street:

My suggestions were to make bump-outs standard at every side street making room for parklets with any boulevard parking removed in favour of same.

Also need to block extremely problematic left turns at unsignaled intersections (mid-road barrier) (done nicely)

On the Planning Study:

I suggested greater as-of-right heights at major intersections and over subway stations and a transition zone that goes further north/south of Danforth.

Also the need to require that podiums of larger buildings be visually articulated as if they were smaller buildings by varying material/colour.

 

[H4F33Z]

Bradford's email after the public presentation for a new design of Woodbine Ave. between Kingston and Gerrard.

Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to join our community consultation meeting last night, and the many of you who submitted questions and comments in advance.

Proposed changes on Woodbine

As we discussed last night, the proposed changes to Woodbine would introduce a second northbound travel lane between Kingston Road and Gerrard Street in the afternoon peak times. This would restrict the current parking on the east side of Woodbine for a short window to help ease congestion and reduce cut-through traffic on neighbouring streets at the busiest times. We would also be lowering the speed limit on Woodbine to 40km/h and continue working on bringing in a number of traffic calming measures like speed-humps on surrounding streets.

The purpose of these changes is to make the street work better for everyone. There was not a pilot phase for the Woodbine bike lanes where we might have had more of an opportunity to make adjustments to the design. As we all know, it's harder and takes more time to fix things after the fact, but with your continued input and support, I believe we can help improve things for everyone who uses Woodbine.

Next steps

You can watch the meeting here, find my presentation here, and the staff presentation here. Please send me any additional questions or comments by Wednesday January 27th so we can try to incorporate feedback into a final proposal.
Once a proposal is finalized, it will be presented at Toronto East York Community Council in early April and the goal is to make any improvements to Woodbine before the end of 2021. I'll notify you of the meeting so you have an opportunity to make a public deputation on the item.

I'm going to be blunt. This design, is a bit worrying.

 

[Northern Light]

Bradford's email after the public presentation for a new design of Woodbine Ave. between Kingston and Gerrard.

Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to join our community consultation meeting last night, and the many of you who submitted questions and comments in advance.

Proposed changes on Woodbine

As we discussed last night, the proposed changes to Woodbine would introduce a second northbound travel lane between Kingston Road and Gerrard Street in the afternoon peak times. This would restrict the current parking on the east side of Woodbine for a short window to help ease congestion and reduce cut-through traffic on neighbouring streets at the busiest times. We would also be lowering the speed limit on Woodbine to 40km/h and continue working on bringing in a number of traffic calming measures like speed-humps on surrounding streets.

The purpose of these changes is to make the street work better for everyone. There was not a pilot phase for the Woodbine bike lanes where we might have had more of an opportunity to make adjustments to the design. As we all know, it's harder and takes more time to fix things after the fact, but with your continued input and support, I believe we can help improve things for everyone who uses Woodbine.

Next steps

You can watch the meeting here, find my presentation here, and the staff presentation here. Please send me any additional questions or comments by Wednesday January 27th so we can try to incorporate feedback into a final proposal.
Once a proposal is finalized, it will be presented at Toronto East York Community Council in early April and the goal is to make any improvements to Woodbine before the end of 2021. I'll notify you of the meeting so you have an opportunity to make a public deputation on the item.

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I'm going to be blunt. This design, is a bit worrying.

I'll be blunter, its crap.

The issue is not additional through-capacity, its how to get turning vehicles out of the through traffic's way.

What's needed:

1) Eliminate the 3 parking spots south of Gerrard (NB Woodbine) to make a larger queue for right-turning vehicles.

2) Eliminate the merge-lane north of Kingston Road altogether. Its simply not needed and needlessly complicates things.

3) Due to above reduce Woodbine NB from Queen to Kingston to one through lane NB. and 1 through lane SB.

Use that extra space to provide bike lanes to Queen; and allow a longer right-turn queue lane to Kingston Road, plus add a left turn lane SB at Queen. Ban North to West left turns onto Kingston Rd from Woodbine.

4) Cut capacity on Lakeshore south of Queen SB to one lane all the way to Coxwell, and limit EB/NB to one lane with a dedicated right-turn lane at Queen and left-turns banned.

 

[WillTo]

If it is not wide enough for a bike lane, they should put the Sharrow on the actual vehicle lane so there is no ambiguity.

 

[afransen]

Maybe instead of sharrows, we should have dashed bike lanes that are part of the vehicle lane, and make it illegal to overtake in that vehicle lane (ie, need to fully exit the lane to pass). I feel like on that bridge, you could eliminate one of the bike 'shoulders', move the vehicle lanes to that side, and use the width to raise both 'shoulders' to sidewalk height, and make it into a MUP (shared with pedestrians). Would need to add a crosswalk on the east side of the bridge, most likely. This might require reconstruction of the sidewalks (and the drains), no sure how much that would be. In that event, you could eliminate the second sidewalk and add that to the width of a MUP.

I mean, FFS bikes and pedestrians mix much better than bikes and cars.

 

[Northern Light]

There's a push on to consider, and Bradford seems like he might go for, cutting St. Clair Avenue East to one lane each way. (with bike lanes)

If that happens, we can begin to consider cutting the capacity on O'Connor. (for vehicles).

There's no denying it will be a challenge.

Perhaps one best met by having retractable bollards around a centre lane than can switch direction mid-day on weekdays.

Regardless. In the absence of cutting capacity on St. Clair, cutting capacity on O'Connor will just generate pushback from endless jams.

So we need to think about this holistically.

I'm pro-bike, but lets find a solution that's sustainable.

For further clarity, the status-quo is a non-starter.