[dt_toronto_geek]

Who said I'm anti-bike? Are you insinuating that it's perfectly reasonable for a cyclist to ride on a 60km road, directly in front of vehicles or merely 40km roads--especially in the downtown core, where traffic moves more slowly and is much more compact than in the burbs?

If I was cycling to or from, say, central Scarborough, there's no way I'd take a lane because drivers are too aggressive out there - even as a pedestrian crossing with a walk signal. Downtown, I have no problem with taking a lane, I've have too many close calls hugging the curb over the years. There will be an extra lane on Jarvis Street soon, so more room to pass me if I'm going uphill in the unlikely event that I use that corridor.

 

[reaperexpress]

A cyclist doesn't have a right to ride directly in front of a vehicle (beside them, yes). They would be impeding all traffic behind them, as well as putting their life at risk.

As has been mentioned before, it is indeed legal and often the safest thing to do. That's why in many places sharrows are located in the middle of the lane. Their main function is to let both drivers and cyclists know that cyclists are recommended to ride in the middle of the lane (since many people clearly don't know that). There's generally some kind of hazard that would make riding to the side of the lane dangerous, such as parked cars or narrow lane width.

For example on Pottery Road, the sharrows are in the middle of the lane on the downhill side, because it would be dangerous for drivers to pass cyclists, and it would be dangerous for cyclists to try to keep close to to the curb at high speed.

 

[EVCco]

Toronto may not be completely bike friendly,
but it's come a long way...

[video=youtube;t5bOF1sgCv0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bOF1sgCv0[/video]

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

So much for separated bike lanes on Sherbourne Street. Dodging stopped or parked vehicles in the bike lane now becomes even more unsafe with the raised concrete curb on the street

 

[nfitz]

So much for separated bike lanes on Sherbourne Street. Dodging stopped or parked vehicles in the bike lane now becomes even more unsafe with the raised concrete curb on the street

Probably worth seeing what happens once the lanes are opened. Perfectly legal to park on them currently while they are under construction.

 

[MisterF]

Toronto may not be completely bike friendly,
but it's come a long way...

[video=youtube;t5bOF1sgCv0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bOF1sgCv0[/video]

Dear god, sometimes it's easy to forget that's what Toronto used to look like.

 

[Palma]

It bothers me how stupid this is... and to think I was starting to like Karen Stintz. I'm so utterly disappointed

Yup, I am surprised at the way she voted

 

[Palma]

A cyclist doesn't have a right to ride directly in front of a vehicle (beside them, yes). They would be impeding all traffic behind them, as well as putting their life at risk.

. Who says a cyclist does not have the right to take up a lane? How can a car and cyclist actually share one lane They are not that wide and I think its too dangerous to share

 

[the lemur]

Probably worth seeing what happens once the lanes are opened. Perfectly legal to park on them currently while they are under construction.

That's probably true, since you can't bike the whole length yet either. Also there will be bollards when it's finished.

 

[calimehtar]

Does anyone know of examples where a significant amount of street parking or a lane of traffic was sacrificed for bike lanes? My suspicion is that bike lanes are usually (or always) created where there was already enough space for a lane, but the space is just more clearly marked out.

For example there is a spot on Davenport where the street narrows and the bike lane vanishes mysteriously but the street parking remains, here:

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=caSA+...d=Ch9TIx6qr-OBk75Kx6ET2g&cbp=12,70.8,,0,24.46

 

[junctionist]

Does anyone know of examples where a significant amount of street parking or a lane of traffic was sacrificed for bike lanes? My suspicion is that bike lanes are usually (or always) created where there was already enough space for a lane, but the space is just more clearly marked out.

For example there is a spot on Davenport where the street narrows and the bike lane vanishes mysteriously but the street parking remains, here:

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=caSA+...d=Ch9TIx6qr-OBk75Kx6ET2g&cbp=12,70.8,,0,24.46

The Davenport bike lanes have made for a safer cycling route from the west end to downtown. It was the route that got me into utilitarian cycling when I had no experience--I grew up cycling on sidewalks and in parks for recreation. But the Davenport bike lanes, however substantial in length, are poorly executed. They're compromised in so many places for the convenience of drivers. The bike lanes simply disappear for a standard four lane street just before several of the busiest intersections along the route. Most of it is in the 'door zone'.

At Oakwood going west bound, the bike lanes lead you into the right turn lane--nothing was done to solve the infrastructure conflict at that point, nor to guide cyclists through that car-oriented setup. It's so unprofessional that it makes me wonder who was responsible for it. No matter who the mayor is, if the quality of bike lane design is low, cycling will never gain the level of acceptance necessary for it to succeed as a form of transportation.

 

[the lemur]

Well, the Jarvis lane and the new one on Sherbourne resulted in the elimination of all on-street parking, replaced with an equal or greater amount of parking on adjacent streets. That eastbound lane on Davenport reappears at Madison, which suggests someone local made enough of a fuss for parking to be preserved just along that stretch, much like the gaps on Harbord that have only sharrows.

I really wish on-street parking were not such a sacred cow in this town - it frustrates every type of road user in some way.

 

[waltthizzney]

its A LOT safer to bike in the middle of the road actually, especially on streets like queen where traffic does not move very fast. When I am biking I just want to make sure I am SEEN! Biking along the edge is a giant blindspot where traffic from all directions as well as parked cars opening their doors dont see you. Establishing yourself in the middle of the road solves this problem

 

[Dan416]

As a driver I prefer separated bike lanes. I don't know why we're not building more of them. It goes beyond just the fact that Rob Ford is currently mayor.

 

[jmacmillan]

I live in the X condo and though I cycle every day, rarely see anyone else from my building also cycling. Puzzling...

Incidentally, on my first trip down Sherbourne, two vehicles obtructed the bike lane (and they had nothing to do with construction).