From: Martha Goodings
To: John Bowker
Cc: Mary Wiens
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 10:40 PM
Subject: Bike lanes
 
John
 
Tonight a woman approached me at an event at the school, and, knowing I was involved with RR, said she could not believe we were not planning to have dedicated bike lanes. Furthermore, she was sure if we really wanted them,  we could find a way to have them. ( I think her plan was to eliminate all parking on one side of the street, but I am not sure)
 
I explained about space, and that bikes were being accommodated as much as was possible etc, but she would have none of it.
 
I told her I was not on the design committee, but I knew that the issue of how to accommodate bikes had been well considered, and that city staff had looked at the issue too. She was doubtful
 
I was going to tell her to sign on to the web Discussion group, but I didn't feel she was in a discussing mood.
 
What is our short answer about why we can't have  bike lanes, AND how what is proposed will work for bicycles. I know you explained at the meeting, but I forget all the details
 
This too could go on the web, as I am sure it is a question others will have.
 
Cheers
 
Martha
 
 
Hi Martha,
 
The short answer is a lack of real estate. Planning guidelines state a minimum space for different uses, and there is no way to accommodate a separate 2m bike lane on Roncesvalles. The "sharrow" concept currently proposed for Roncesvalles (and in place on Landsdowne) represents the best compromise. I should point out that the City's cycling plan does not even include Roncesvalles due to the real estate issue (riders are told to take Sorauren instead). Check the BIA website, including my responses to comments, for some more info. Also, this is a nice article about the plan from a cyclist's perspective:

http://www.bikingtoronto.com/2008/01/balancing-streetcar-accessibility-with.html

Cheers
John

Best of luck with your project.  I'm not a local (Little Italy is more my thing), so I don't have a direct stake in this project, but I would urge you to take cycling very seriously, second only to TTC transportation.  Why?  Because the level of automobile use in Toronto is pretty much as high as it's going to get.  As oil gets increasingly expensive, and as global warming's effects actually start to influence policy, the cost of transportation fuel is going to skyrocket, and car drivers will switch to smaller vehicles or stop driving altogether.

What will increase is public transportation use, scooters and motorbikes, demand for higher density buildings, and most of all bicycles.  If you want to make Roncesvalles a neighborhood of tomorrow, design for a world with high energy prices.  You may drive everywhere today, but your children will not.