Saturday, April 12, 2014

Bike Lanes On Bloor-Danforth

Nearly 10 years ago, the Urban Repair Squad painted this guerrilla bike lane on Bloor near Bathurst. Today, local cyclists, residents and businesses are still demanding that they should be installed.




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been biking down the "waterfront trail" north service road from st.catharines to Grimsby at 5am it's incredibly dark behind the sound barriers from 7th street to victoria avenue vineland so I contacted the Niagara Region. I get very little light from the highway drivers are not giving me space (no proper bike lane few signs) and the speed limit is 80 in some spots! so drivers were going 80+ in the dark with rain or wet snow falling!

Hi Tyler,



Staff have reviewed your request for illumination and have determined that it is not warranted and therefore cannot be recommended for installation.



It should be noted that almost all the intersecting roadways with the service roads do have illumination.



The warrants are set as to evaluate the roadway type, adjacent lighting, number of lanes, speed limits, road user types, horizontal and vertical curvature of the roadway and night time collisions.



I don’t know if you personally have lights and reflectors on your bicycle, but under the Highway Traffic Act you are required to have that equipment on your bicycle and from a road safety perspective it is highly recommended, in order to be seen by other vehicles.



If you have exact specific locations that are problematic, please forward those to us, but you have to be very specific, what road and between what to intersecting roadways.



Should you have any further questions you can contact me directly.





Petar Vujic

Corridor Safety Manager

Niagara Region Public Works

905-685-4225 ext. 3238

petar.vujic@niagararegion.ca

Anonymous said...

I like your urban repair squad manual but I'm not great at drawing so what could I trace onto cardboard to make a stencil to paint my own bike lane Thank you

Anonymous said...

Re: Waterfront trail Hi Tyler,

I understand your frustration concerning driver behavior and in this case human behaviour. If you have encountered vehicles driving in an erratic manner, than this is enforceable and should be reported to the Niagara Regional Police. Further, anyone using the road should abide by the Highway Traffic Act and this also include cyclists. Just so that you are aware of the provision in the HTA, I have include them for you.

Lights and reflectors on bicycles, etc.
(17) When on a highway at any time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres or less, every motor-assisted bicycle and bicycle (other than a unicycle) shall carry a lighted lamp displaying a white or amber light on its front and a lighted lamp displaying a red light or a reflector approved by the Ministry on its rear, and in addition white reflective material shall be placed on its front forks, and red reflective material covering a surface of not less than 250 millimetres in length and 25 millimetres in width shall be place on its rear. 2009, c. 5, s. 28 (1).
Penalty
(18) Every person who contravenes subsection (17) is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $20. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (18).

If there is any other questions or concerns feel free to contact me.

Mark Slade,
Traffic Operations Technician

Niagara Region
Transportation Division
2201 St. Davids Road P.O. Box 1042
Thorold, ON L2V 4T7
P: 905-685-4225, ext. 3243
F: 905-685-0013
E: mark.slade@niagararegion.ca

Anonymous said...

Hi Tyler,

If you feel uncomfortable with the provisions set out in the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), there are means available to assist cyclists in providing a safe and satisfying commute. The Region does not and cannot make amendments to the HTA. There will be areas throughout the Region where lighting may be poor. Any cyclist that rides at night will require lights (HTA) that are mounted on the bike and they must be ministry approved. These lights are to assist cyclists in the area with poor lighting conditions.

It is my opinion that a cyclist should provide a reasonable amount of safety equipment to ensure that their presence on the road is known to drivers. As a cyclist myself, and when I ride at night, I where a safety vest. There are websites that can assist cyclists with additional safety equipment that will help cyclists that cycle at night. Stats Canada and the Ministry of Transportation may be of assistance to providing additional information to you.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp3322-2009-1173.htm#t6


Safety is a priority for all and everyone has a responsibility to uphold it.
The Region is required to operate within a budget. The lighting on this 20 km stretch on RR39 (Lakeshore Road) would be costly.

If there is any other concerns that I can assist you with , please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Mark Slade,
Traffic Operations Technician

Niagara Region
Transportation Division
2201 St. Davids Road P.O. Box 1042
Thorold, ON L2V 4T7
P: 905-685-4225, ext. 3243
F: 905-685-0013
E: mark.slade@niagararegion.ca

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