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I just cycled on the new Mill-Esplanade link path - the fences were being taken down and it appears to be open. I heard that the lines will be painted this week and that Hydro will remove the guy-wire they have in a poor location!
Came back from vacation to see this work nearly completed in my absence and it was a very nice surprise. It makes a ton of sense and will make both cycling and walking through there much safer and more pleasant for thousands of people every day.
 
Just tried out the new elevated bike lanes on a section of College - I'm thrilled that they're grade separated from vehicular traffic, but I couldn't help but feel that the work looks a tad sloppy and cheap 🤣

How so? (please take pics); the contractor is still working further east as far I know, and so if there are any deficiencies now is 100% the time to say something. It can be looked at.

If there's something about the overall design you're not crazy about, bit late to make any changes there, but still good to know before the next project.
 
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How so? (please take pics); the contractor is still working further east as far I know, and so if there are any deficiencies now is 100% the time to say something. It can be looked at.

If there's something about the overall design you're not crazy about, bit late to make any changes there, but still good to know before the next project.
Don't forget, it's Mr (or Ms?) Towered. Have we ever seen him (or her) really like anything?
 
News Release

June 14, 2023

Toronto City Council approves new bikeways to connect and renew safe cycling routes across the city

Today, Toronto City Council approved the Cycling Network Plan - 2023 Cycling Infrastructure Installation - Third Quarter Updates report, which will add new bikeways in several parts of the city and improve two existing bikeways.

As one might imagine the viote was not unanimous :->

Motions (City Council)​

3 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Alejandra Bravo (Carried)
That:

1. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 5 by further amending the cycling, traffic and parking regulations described in Attachment 3 to the report (May 19, 2023) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, in accordance with Attachment 1 to this motion.
2 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Chris Moise (Carried)
That:

1. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1. f., by replacing the words "bike lane" with the words "cycle track" so it reads as follows:

f. Ontario Street from Carlton Street to Aberdeen Avenue, contra-flow bike lane cycle track;

2. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1 by adding the following new part:

a. Winchester Street from Parliament Street to Ontario Street, contra-flow bicycle lane;

Vote (Amend Item)Jun-14-2023 5:39 PM​

Result: CarriedMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 20Members that voted Yes arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 2Members that voted No areStephen Holyday, Anthony Perruzza
Total members that wereAbsent: 3Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Nick Mantas
1 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Stephen Holyday (Lost)
That City Council delete Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1.a.

Recommendation to be deleted:

a. Bloor Street from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road, uni-directional cycle tracks;

Vote (Amend Item)Jun-14-2023 5:36 PM​

Result: LostMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 3Members that voted Yes areVincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 20Members that voted No arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe
Total members that wereAbsent: 2Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Nick Mantas
Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended)Jun-14-2023 5:40 PM​

Result: CarriedMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 21Members that voted Yes arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 1Members that voted No areStephen Holyday
Total members that wereAbsent: 3Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Nick Mantas

Infrastructure and Environment Committee consideration on June 5, 2023​

 
News Release

June 14, 2023

Toronto City Council approves new bikeways to connect and renew safe cycling routes across the city

Today, Toronto City Council approved the Cycling Network Plan - 2023 Cycling Infrastructure Installation - Third Quarter Updates report, which will add new bikeways in several parts of the city and improve two existing bikeways.

As one might imagine the viote was not unanimous :->

Motions (City Council)​

3 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Alejandra Bravo (Carried)
That:

1. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 5 by further amending the cycling, traffic and parking regulations described in Attachment 3 to the report (May 19, 2023) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, in accordance with Attachment 1 to this motion.
2 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Chris Moise (Carried)
That:

1. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1. f., by replacing the words "bike lane" with the words "cycle track" so it reads as follows:

f. Ontario Street from Carlton Street to Aberdeen Avenue, contra-flow bike lane cycle track;

2. City Council amend Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1 by adding the following new part:

a. Winchester Street from Parliament Street to Ontario Street, contra-flow bicycle lane;

Vote (Amend Item)Jun-14-2023 5:39 PM​

Result: CarriedMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 20Members that voted Yes arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 2Members that voted No areStephen Holyday, Anthony Perruzza
Total members that wereAbsent: 3Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Nick Mantas
1 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Stephen Holyday (Lost)
That City Council delete Infrastructure and Environment Committee Recommendation 1.a.

Recommendation to be deleted:

a. Bloor Street from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road, uni-directional cycle tracks;

Vote (Amend Item)Jun-14-2023 5:36 PM​

Result: LostMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 3Members that voted Yes areVincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 20Members that voted No arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe
Total members that wereAbsent: 2Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Nick Mantas
Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended)Jun-14-2023 5:40 PM​

Result: CarriedMajority Required
Total members that votedYes: 21Members that voted Yes arePaul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that votedNo: 1Members that voted No areStephen Holyday
Total members that wereAbsent: 3Members that were absent areGary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Nick Mantas

Infrastructure and Environment Committee consideration on June 5, 2023​


To summarize the above: Holyday one; Everyone else Won.

****

The Cycling Package passed unscathed, and indeed, oddly with a modest enhancement with one bike turning into a cycle track, one small contra-flow lane added.
 
To summarize the above: Holyday one; Everyone else Won.

****

The Cycling Package passed unscathed, and indeed, oddly with a modest enhancement with one bike turning into a cycle track, one small contra-flow lane added.

I'm actually still sort of shocked how quickly the Overton Window has shifted on bike lanes in the city (with some exceptions) -- it took activists literally decades to get the Shaw-to-Avenue stretch of the Bloor bike lanes approved, with the final push being an all-out, door-by-door battle to get it through at Council.

Fast forward to today and a massive extension (through Etobicoke!) passes with the only vote against being the arse who winds up being the sole dissenting vote on a goodly share of Council motions. Wild.
 
And, despite what the polls say, there's always the chance that there's a new Mayor that comes in and rips them all up, or, puts in place a budget that functionally lets cycling funding die.
I think Saunders would have a hard time getting Council to go along with him.
 
I'm actually still sort of shocked how quickly the Overton Window has shifted on bike lanes in the city (with some exceptions) -- it took activists literally decades to get the Shaw-to-Avenue stretch of the Bloor bike lanes approved, with the final push being an all-out, door-by-door battle to get it through at Council.

Fast forward to today and a massive extension (through Etobicoke!) passes with the only vote against being the arse who winds up being the sole dissenting vote on a goodly share of Council motions. Wild.

I like to think that all the urbanist youtube channels which are Canadian dominated have shifted both public and political opinion on the matter. Or it could be the other way around that public opinion has changed on it's for other reasons which has led to many Canadian urbanist channel being created. In either case better and safer streets designs for all road users is on the march
 
And, despite what the polls say, there's always the chance that there's a new Mayor that comes in and rips them all up, or, puts in place a budget that functionally lets cycling funding die.
New bike lanes are being designed in a way that makes it difficult to remove them. Similar designs are starting to get built in cities like Kingston and Ottawa too.
 
How so? (please take pics); the contractor is still working further east as far I know, and so if there are any deficiencies now is 100% the time to say something. It can be looked at.

If there's something about the overall design you're not crazy about, bit late to make any changes there, but still good to know before the next project.
Just rode them again - they're fine. I was being nitpicky about how the asphalt meets the poured concrete - it didn't look "perfect", lol. In places I think pavers would have been nicer than concrete, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm just thrilled that stuff like this is happening at all in this town, although far too slowly...
 
Just rode them again - they're fine. I was being nitpicky about how the asphalt meets the poured concrete - it didn't look "perfect", lol. In places I think pavers would have been nicer than concrete, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm just thrilled that stuff like this is happening at all in this town, although far too slowly...

This project is being done by SANSCON. They are the contractor on the Wellingon Street fiasco, and on the maybe worse Military Trail fiasco. Very much worthwhile keeping an eye on their work quality.

They are capable of doing good work, though, its often not the most timely. But the Military Trail job......uh......
 
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