[Northern Light]

View attachment 638057

something like this? if the standard for expected pedestrian volume here is 6 meters obviously this wouldn't be acceptable

Nah, it really wouldn't work from a perspective of pedestrian safety, but even if that compromise were made.........you'd have to move the light fixtures.........no small matter...........

Also...it just wouldn't get you enough room. The curb lane there is currently 'shared' at 3.8M. If you firm it up, really tight........you could get 0.8M for a cycle track/bike lane. To get just to 1.8M you'd have to take almost 1/3 of the sidewalk at that corner.

There's just no way to make that work. (without removing a car lane)

 

[nfitz]

The right-hand lane is significantly wider than the left-hand lane already. I don't know how much you could narrow the lanes to the absolute minimum.

At the intersection itself - if you get rid of left-turns for cars - the problem goes away.

 

[DSCToronto]

I got this from the Lower Don Trail project folk today, not encouraging in my opinion. Current completion set for July but I assume "finalizing the schedule' means more delays!

Sigh!!

"The project team is currently finalizing the project schedule, and we are preparing to update the project website within the next few weeks."

 

[robmausser]

I got this from the Lower Don Trail project folk today, not encouraging in my opinion. Current completion set for July but I assume "finalizing the schedule' means more delays!

Sigh!!

"The project team is currently finalizing the project schedule, and we are preparing to update the project website within the next few weeks."

I think we should just continue to use the trail as it is, and take photos of crossing the tracks on our bikes dangerously, and send those photos to Metrolinx with the subtext "if something happens, its your fault"

 

[Admiral Beez]

I got this from the Lower Don Trail project folk today, not encouraging in my opinion. Current completion set for July but I assume "finalizing the schedule' means more delays!

Sigh!!

"The project team is currently finalizing the project schedule, and we are preparing to update the project website within the next few weeks."

It’s criminal how long it takes this city to do anything. We couldn’t even do proper soil analysis before we tore up the place.

Lower Don River Trail Improvements

The Lower Don River Trail is undergoing improvements to upgrade accessibility, mitigate erosion and flooding from the Don River, resolve drainage issues and enhance overall trail connections.

www.toronto.ca

It’ll be 2026 or 2027 before the trail is open. There was nothing wrong with it as it was, and the bumpy surface slowed down Mamils. I see the footings for the long promised ramp on the green bridge are in, so maybe that’s something.

 

[DSCToronto]

It’s criminal how long it takes this city to do anything. We couldn’t even do proper soil analysis before we tore up the place.

Lower Don River Trail Improvements

The Lower Don River Trail is undergoing improvements to upgrade accessibility, mitigate erosion and flooding from the Don River, resolve drainage issues and enhance overall trail connections.

www.toronto.ca

It’ll be 2026 or 2027 before the trail is open. There was nothing wrong with it as it was, and the bumpy surface slowed down Mamils. I see the footings for the long promised ramp on the green bridge are in, so maybe that’s something.

Of course it has taken FAR too long and it is 'odd' that nobody expected the river bank to be unstable (though it clearly was!) but the trail DID need an upgrade. It flooded often and the banks were eroding in several areas. Access was poor so adding more access points is good and it is getting more crowded so widening is good. IF the changes deal with flooding, erosion and access it will all be worthwhile but.....

 

[PL1]

Of course it has taken FAR too long and it is 'odd' that nobody expected the river bank to be unstable (though it clearly was!) but the trail DID need an upgrade. It flooded often and the banks were eroding in several areas. Access was poor so adding more access points is good and it is getting more crowded so widening is good. IF the changes deal with flooding, erosion and access it will all be worthwhile but.....

Measure twice, cut once. Preliminary work should have been done in advance.

 

[DSCToronto]

Measure twice, cut once. Preliminary work should have been done in advance.

Well, yes!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Measure twice, cut once. Preliminary work should have been done in advance.

Not when the city is your customer. You don’t measure at all, give a lowball bid, commence just enough excavation to make the space unusable (so to drive public pressure), then exclaim “whoopsie, we found something unforeseen”, and then refuse to proceed further while demanding more money over your original bid to finish the job. And if the city cancels your contract for negligence, you make sure one of your pals gets the work in your place - ideally using the same subs.

 

[ShonTron]

I would remove the left turn lanes instead and widen the sidewalk at that intersection. There’s no need for left turns at every intersection on Spadina. It would help streetcars slightly as well.

 

[Northern Light]

I would remove the left turn lanes instead and widen the sidewalk at that intersection. There’s no need for left turns at every intersection on Spadina. It would help streetcars slightly as well.

While I like this idea in principle...........you're talking about a total ban on left turns coming off Spadina, in both directions. That would likely prove a very hard sell

If you can get it by the locals and Transportation........ I'm down.

That is the same department that has refused to give priority to streetcars at intersections on Spadina and has prioritized those left hand turns over transit.

 

[slicecom]

They finally repainted the Esplanade bike lanes East of Jarvis. Still no sign of anything west of Jarvis, and weren’t they supposed to be installing proper dedicated (not just painted) bike lanes East of Jarvis this spring? Why even bother painting them at this point? Unless they delayed it again?

 

[reinventingthewheel]

They finally repainted the Esplanade bike lanes East of Jarvis. Still no sign of anything west of Jarvis, and weren’t they supposed to be installing proper dedicated (not just painted) bike lanes East of Jarvis this spring? Why even bother painting them at this point? Unless they delayed it again?

It’s being tied into the David Crombie Park revitalization, with the following advertised timeline, which may well have slipped since being published late last year.

• Spring 2025: Hire a construction team
• Summer 2025: Construction for park and cycle track starts
• December 2025: Construction for cycle track complete

East of Jarvis The Esplanade is very lightly trafficked so I’m sure there haven’t been many cyclist complaints about all the rejigging. It’s still disappointing though.

 

[votemac]

The new (sloppy) bike lane lines on the Esplanade after many months of nothing. People in their cars are still driving the wrong way down the "no entry" portion of the street though.

 

[DSCToronto]

The new (sloppy) bike lane lines on the Esplanade after many months of nothing. People in their cars are still driving the wrong way down the "no entry" portion of the street though.

View attachment 639421

The work is ongoing...

Cycling told me last week that:

In parallel to this is the work we are bundling cycletrack upgrades with the delivery of the David Crombie Park (DCP) Revitalization project, which is wrapping up design and should start construction mid-summer. It will include raising the quick-build two-way cycletrack between George Street and Berkeley Street/Hahn Place to sidewalk height. The DCP construction will also make the connection west to Market Street, as this work had to be deferred from the 2024 plan due to coordination with the temporary St. Lawrence Market tent, which is located between Market Street and Jarvis Street. There is a mailing list for DCP under the “Get Involved” tab on the project website, in case you’d like to subscribe to project updates.