Bike Lane Review - Fort York Boulevard



Opened late summer 2002. City said: "The new roadway under construction
just south of Fort York will provide a new bicycle connection to the
Waterfront Martin Goodman Trail. The new road will include bicycle lanes
in both directions between Bathurst and Lake Shore Blvd, a new signalized
crossing of Lake Shore for pedestrians and cyclists, and a new trail on
the south side connecting to the Waterfront Trail."

True. Not true.

The city made good on its promise to include bike lanes in any new road building.
But really it's a bike lane that is hard to get to from the waterfront trail.

(Lakeshore Blvd. Cyclist dismount!)

Not sure who, if anyone would use it on a regular basis.
Easier to go down Strachan or even Bathurst. It's still a little used Bike Lane
for now and also has surprisingly few cars. Having the Gardiner loom overhead
is very striking. Interesting design.
Positives: New on road bike lane markings, smooth new road, signage goes
right to the end of the bike lane. Nice. Trigger mechanism for changing
traffic light on Bathurst works well.


Yoo-hoo. Bike Lane gets cleared of snow.

Negatives:
Two construction ramp hazards just north of Fleet (west side)

Bike lane varies in width and in spots is barley a metre wide. Pathetic.
Messy road design on the Bathurst end. You get in order (right to left):
Bike Lane, car right turn lane, bike left turn lane, median, car left turn lane,
centre median (yellow)

Confusing and well just plain silly. Bike Lane veers away from car lane
to go behind the pillars of the underpass ... (hmm)/ Result is that water,
debris, sand and dirt collect in the bike lane creating a hazard for cyclists.

A quiet, visually interesting ride. The Bike Lane no one needs.
Rating 2003-2004: B
User comments:
"Weird, but I like it." -Netami-
"The road is currently wider than it needs to be, because the long-range
plan is to continue it through the Bathurst St. intersection to connect
with Bremner. When that happens, it will be (right-to-left): bike lane,
through lane, through lane, left turn lane. The space for the second
through lane is now filled by the left-turn bike lane and "buffer."
The idea behind the present layout is to mark out the positions a cyclist
would use if there were no bike lanes: Cyclists turning right keep right,
those turning left move to the right side of the left-turn lane. It's a bit
like east-bound on the Bloor viaduct, just before Broadview, where the bike
lane shifts to the left of the right turn lane for the DVP ramp."
-David Tomlinson, (City Staff)

Posted: Tue - February 3, 2004 at 09:41 AM          

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