Transportation Services

Separated Bicycle Lanes on Sherbourne St.

City Council on July 12, 2011, directed City staff to proceed with the detailed design and consultation process for developing separated bicycle lanes on Sherbourne Street, as part of a planned downtown separated bicycle lanes network.

The goal is to build the Sherbourne separated bicycle lanes in 2012 as part of the water main and road resurfacing work already planned for Sherbourne Street.

The new physically separated bicycle lane design will require more width than the existing painted bicycle lanes and therefore will significantly reduce the number of on-street motor-vehicle parking spaces on Sherbourne Street.

Projected Project Time Line:

Learn more about some of the issues being considered as part of the design process.

Richmond-Adelaide

At City Council's July 2011 meeting, Transportation staff were directed to report on the feasibility of introducing separated bike lanes on Richmond and/or Adelaide St.

Transportation Services Staff have completed a preliminary assessment of the feasibility of uni-directional and bi-directional separated bicycle lanes on both Richmond Street and Adelaide Street.  Transportation Services staff have also undertaken preliminary consultations with the affected City Divisions and agencies, including City Planning, Solid Waste Management, TTC, Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services, as well as internal staff involved in traffic and road operations.

Staff prepared a report which was presented to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) November 3^rd, 2011.

At this meeting, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommended that:

1. City Council authorize an Environmental Assessment (EA) study be initiated for separated bicycle lanes within the Richmond-Adelaide corridor, between Bathurst Street and Sherbourne Street, which could include consideration of a pilot project to install and evaluate separated bicycle lanes on the preferred alignment during the course of the study.

2. That City Council should authorize that the EA study for separated bicycle lanes be limited to the existing one-way road configurations.

3. That City Council vote staff should initiate a second study, to develop preferred bikeway route alignments to connect the future Richmond-Adelaide corridor bike lanes to existing bikeways east of the Don Valley and west of Bathurst St.

New Finch Hydro Corridor Trail Connection- Sentinel to Black Creek

The City of Toronto is in the process of building a number of major multi-use trails within hydro and rail corridors across the city.  A section of new trail has now been completed, between Sentinel Rd. and the Black Creek Ravine.

This new trail in the Finch Hydro Corridor travels through an archaeologically significant site, which was a large ancestral Huron-Wendat village, estimated to have consisted of as many as 1,500 inhabitants.  Cultural material dating to the late fifteenth century survives in this registered archeological site.

The City of Toronto and the Ontario Realty Corporation (who are the current land owners) met with the Huron-Wendat Nation.  The City and the Huron-Wendat representatives discussed issues of concern, and agreed that the bike trail could be built provided.

• Trail alignment follows a section of the site which had been previously excavated;
• An Archaeological Monitoring and Mitigation Strategy be rigorously followed;
• Various commemoration elements, be installed in 2012
• Huron-Wendat representatives to participate in development of the commemorative program and the ceremony to "open the trail" in spring 2012

Cyclists from all over Toronto may be thankful to the Huron-Wendat Nation, for their support which has allowed for the construction of this bikeway Trail connection.

BIXI bikes have now been used in Toronto's downtown core for over 360,000 trips. The BIXI system has been helping thousands of people get where they need to go downtown with an average of 14,000 rides every week since the launch of the program in May.

In the next few weeks, BIXI Toronto will relocate 10 on-street stations to accommodate snow removal operations. The stations will be moved a little further east and west to expand the service area. The larger area will offer BIXI users more options

Bixi Toronto is committed to providing great service to their customers in all seasons. The BIXI Toronto system will remain in operation throughout the winter months. BIXI will be implementing a winter operations plan.  This plan includes moving ten stations which are located on street, to allow for snow clearing activities; and a system shutdown plan during snowstorms when conditions are too dangerous to operate the system safely. 

Information on BIXI Toronto winter operations will be posted on the BIXI Toronto website as it becomes available.  Bixi Toronto bikes are available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

College Bike Boxes Installed

Volunteers from the Toronto Cyclists Union have been flyering bike box postcards, to coincide with the installation of bike boxes at the intersections of College - Spadina, and College - St. George. 

Bike boxes allow cyclists to stop in front of motor vehicle traffic, and proceed first when the light turns green.  Learn more about bike boxes.

Bloor Viaduct

In the June 2011 Bikeways Report, City staff recommended the addition of the physical separation on the Prince Edward Viaduct's bike lanes.

This section of bikeway was initially seen as an easy retrofit, because no modifications to existing traffic lanes, parking, garbage pickup, or TTC service will be necessary and so no public consultation will be required.  Drilling temporary bollards into the bridge deck would have been a means to install a temporary physical separation in the summer, which could then be removed in the winter for snow ploughing.

Unfortunately, however, upon further investigation of this bridge deck, it was determined that the drilling depth necessary to install bollards safely was not possible.  Some alternate designs from the original bollards concept will be installed in 2012, after the winter ploughing season. 

The existing painted bicycle lanes on Bloor St. East were re-striped in September, to improve the condition of this facility until a physical separation can be installed next year.

Trails Suggestions

Transportation Services received dozens of letters from cyclometer readers, and wants to thank everyone who took the time to write.  Your suggestions for potential Trail network improvements or new connections have been reviewed.

Your feedback has been considered as part of the Trails Plan.  The plan weighs options for new trails, and some state of good repair work for existing trails that are significant network connections. The Trails plan is currently scheduled to be presented to the March 2012 Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting.

Bike Parking

New Bicycle Lockers installed at Bayview TTC Station

Twelve new bicycle lockers have been installed at Bayview Subway Station (550 Sheppard Avenue East).  The lockers provide a new parking option for TTC commuters who wish to park their bicycle at this station for extended periods of time.

The lockers are located on the north side of Sheppard Avenue just east of Bayview.  Learn more about Toronto bicycle lockers, including how to sign up to rent a bicycle locker.

Bylaw Harmonization Motion

A motion passed at Novembers Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) has some cyclists concerned that the bylaw would cause the city to remove all bikes (derelict or otherwise) which have been parked at a post and ring stand for more than 24 hours once approved by Council.

This purpose of the by-law harmonization is to consolidate existing by-laws which are still in effect from the seven pre-amalgamation municipalities. The bylaw exists to allow for the removal of "things or articles" locked to City property which create a problem for pedestrians, like A-frame signs, shopping carts, and abandoned articles. Abandoned articles may include derelict bicycles.

Bike Events

The awards presentation, which took place at the Gladstone Hotel, paid tribute to businesses and organizations that demonstrate leadership in encouraging cycling by employees and/or customers.  By doing so, these businesses are helping to promote the bicycle as a sustainable form of transportation.

The following businesses and organizations received awards for their bicycle friendliness:

Bike Parking: Terrazza
Suburban Business: Z&M Cycle and Fitness
Small Business: Dufflet Bakery
Large Business: Ontario Medical Association
Skills Development: Bike Pirates
Best Overall: Wiedman Communications PR

Tour D'Afrique Book Launch

The Bicycle Friendly Business Awards would like to thank the event sponsor, Tour d'Afrique LTD.  Tour D'Afrique will be hosting a book launch at the Rivoli celebrating their new publication which chronicles Tour D'Afrique cycling trips across Africa.

Monday, November 21 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
The Rivoli  - 334 Queen St West
Door prizes, Draw, Books & Tees for sale

Parks, Forestry and Recreation

New BMXSkills Park

City staff from Forestry and the local Councillor's office are working with skills park designer Jay Hoots to develop a new BMX park. The goal is to make a new, permanent skills park to replace the informal jumps which were removed from High Park earlier this year.

You can still submit your feedback to trails@toronto.ca

Waterfront Toronto

Waterfront Toronto’s Lower Don Lands Framework Plan/Keating Channel Precinct Plan has won the 2011 Excellence in Planning Award from the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI).

These award winning plans for the Lower Don Lands include protective measures for more than 230 hectares (568 acres) of land currently at risk due to flooding.  The proposed transportation network would include extensive multi-use trails which would act as major connecting links with the Don Valley Trail system and the Martin Goodman Trail, maintaining continuity and enhancing the public realm.

Watch the YouTube video to learn more

In the Community

Toronto Cyclists Union REGISTER/REPORT/CHECK Campaign

A way to reduce bike theft is to collapse the market for stolen bikes, making it harder for thieves to re-sell stolen bikes, and easier for the police to return stolen bikes to their owners.

To combat bike theft, the Toronto Cyclists Union is launching the REGISTER/REPORT/CHECK campaign. 

Many don't register their bikes because they don't see the point.  Even fewer people report the theft when it occurs.  And since so few bikes are registered, stolen bikes change hands easily because people rarely check to see if the bikes are stolen.
Through our apathy we end up creating a healthy market for stolen bikes.

You can help:

1. REGISTER your bike
Click here to register your bike online in 5 minutes at the Toronto Police Bicycle Registry.

2. REPORT theft
If your bike is stolen, report it to the Toronto Police.  To report a theft in Toronto, call (416) 808-2222 and press 0 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
If anyone checks your bike, it will be flagged as stolen and can be returned to you.

3. CHECK used bikes