[URBAN NOTE] "Bike Lanes on Bloor Street’s Horizon"

[rfmcdonald]

Torontoist's Stephanie DePetrillo reports, at length and with charts and maps, about the push for a bike lane on Bloor Street.

The long-awaited plan for bike lanes on Bloor is slowly pedaling itself into reality. Last night was the first public drop-in event for Bloor Street bike lanes pilot project, where the plans were visually displayed for attendees to evaluate, comment on, and discuss with any of the other 200 people in attendance including local councillors and the planners themselves.

“What we’re seeking input on today is on our process. What we present is sort of the existing conditions, our opportunities, we want to make sure we’ve got that part of it right,” said Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, Manager of Cycling Infrastructure and Programs, Transportation Service. “Most importantly we want to get people’s feedback on the design options.”

Poster-sized print outs were set up of the pilot project’s plans [PDF] along the edges of the gym at Trinity-St.Paul’s United Church in the Annex. Initially the plan started with three options, but Plan A would require no on-street parking, something business owners were concerned with. On the print-out, it was marked with a red “FAIL” stamp.

So people followed the two remaining plans—Plan B, which would offer curbside parking, and Plan C, which would put cyclists beside the curb—in the centre of the room. Two diagrams of each separate plan were printed out and laid across a long table, inviting people to walk along path from its westernmost start point, Shaw Street, to its end, Avenue Road. Than plan outlined the impact on the whole community—vehicular traffic, cycling traffic, pedestrians, and businesses.