article on Torontoist by Albert Koehl
Note that City Council will vote on the Reimagining Yonge proposal today and tomorrow. What was proposed by PWIC was a watered down version that maintains six lanes of through traffic between Sheppard and Finch, and diverts bike lanes to a side street. This version also costs more.
Star: City planners urge mayor to support north Yonge St. bike lanes
(picture from the 2017 Toronto Ride of Silence)
Article in the Toronto Star by Albert Koehl and Michael Black from two years ago just came up on my Facebook feed.
“Last year, 64 people died on Toronto roads — the worst death toll in a decade. We can do better.”
Let’s do better in 2018. Continue the push for lower speed limits, better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and vulnerable road user legislation.
Last night, Albert invited all of the people who has worked with either Take the Tooker or Bells on Bloor to dinner at a restaurant (Real Thai) that was, of course, on the Bloor bike lane. He thanked us all for our work over the years. Angela Bischoff was also there, and she gave us a little background on Take the Tooker, and the beginnings of the Bells on Bloor bike parade (seen below). Hamish Wilson, you were missed.
Regrettably, this is the only picture that I can provide of the event.
Still more work to be done, but for the time being, a moment to savour.
Albert’s letter to the Toronto Star, in response to the following article:
Despite Bloor bike lanes, Toronto lags on cycling infrastructure, critics say (Nov 12)
Cycling finally getting recognized as legitimate transportation: The Fixer (Nov 15)
and here’s a reminder of some of the work it took to get here:
Yesterday was a good day for bicycle advocacy in Toronto. City council voted 36-6 in favour of the staff recommendation that the Bloor bike lanes become permanent. The blow by blow of the meeting (at least the afternoon portion) is here.
Toronto Star: Toronto council votes to make the Bloor St. bike lanes permanent
CBC news: The Bloor bike lanes are here to stay.
National Post: Chris Selley: Approval of permanent Bloor bike lanes brings us a step closer to getting along
Globe and Mail: City council votes 36-6 to make Bloor Street bicycle lanes permanent
Dandyhorse Magazine: Bloor gets a bike lane. (Albert said he started composing this article during the City Council meeting)
A few take aways from the meeting:
He was allowed a revote so that the final tally was 36-6 in favour.
Hamish and Albert look happy immediately after passage.
Riding home afterwards. I wondered if my fellow cyclists were aware of what just happened earlier in the evening.
Here, the bike lane ends at Shaw, showing that we have more work to do to get to the vision of an east-west bike lane spanning the city.
A commentary by Albert Koehl on local merchants’ concern about the loss of parking spaces to the Bloor bike lane.
and remember that City Council will vote on making the Bloor bike lane pilot permanent at next week’s meeting (Nov 7-9, 2017)
An article by Albert Koehl about the opposition to the Bloor bike lanes, organized by Annex Business Bike Alliance (ABBA). The leader is Barry Alper, co-owner of Fresh on Bloor (rightmost person in the photo below)
This group wants to be seen as pro bike lane, but their suggested improvements to the configuration of the pilot include:
Also read about their own survey of local merchant sentiment here.
If you want to see some businesses that clearly support the Bloor bike lanes, watch this:
Yesterday PWIC voted 4-2 to keep the Bloor bike lane pilot. Holiday and Mammolitti opposed.
Toronto Star:
The blow by blow account of the six hour meeting is here
Thanks to everyone who gave a deputation at the marathon six hour meeting, as well as Cycle Toronto, City Staff, guest councillors Janet Davis, Mary Margaret McMahon, Mike Layton, and especially Joe Cressy who stuck it out to the very end.
Next up: the city council vote in early November.
Global news: Toronto’s Bloor bike lanes just took one more step toward permanency
As we count down the days to the vote at PWIC on Wednesday October 18, the big news this past week as been the release of the long awaited study of the Bloor bike lane pilot commissioned by the city.
The agenda item for PWIC has a brief summary of the report along with the staff recommendation that the bike lanes be made permanent.
| Recommendations |
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The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that: 1. City Council approve maintaining the eastbound and westbound cycle tracks on Bloor Street West, from Shaw Street to Avenue Road, as a permanent installation, including changes to the current design that will improve safety and operations, as part of 2019 Capital Works on Bloor Street West between Bathurst Street and Avenue Road. |
City of Toronto information page on the study
Why Bloor? Why Now? from Metcalf Foundation on Vimeo.
Star Coverage:
Bloor bike lanes should stay: city report
Extensive pilot project proves value of Bloor bike lanes: Cressy, Layton
CBC Metro Morning interview with Barbara Gray, Head of Transportation Services.
Torontoist: Bloor Street bike lanes and the business of road safety
Dandyhorse: Report shows Bloor business is flourishing with new bike lanes
An interview on Metro Morning, featuring Albert Koehl and Barry Alper, owner of Fresh restaurants, who was quoted in the Sun as being against the Bloor bike lanes, but is now saying that he supports them but not in their current configuration.
Note also that the study on the Bloor bike lane pilot is due to be released this week, in advance of the PWIC meeting next Wednesday.
