[ShonTron]

I had to look up who this is. Google says he is "internationally recognized champion of Canada's automotive industry". He is the president of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association. Sounds like he has may have a vested interest in people driving instead of cycling lmao.

Volpe is the son of long-time Liberal MP Joe Volpe. He’s especially outspoken on bike lanes and pro-Israel issues for some reason.

He shouldn’t have the platform he has when talking about anything else other than the auto parts industry.

 

[evandyk]

He seems to have no actual hobbies, so what he does instead is take a picture of University Ave every time he comes downtown and post it on twitter with a whinge about bike lanes, even when the picture shows traffic flowing freely. Obviously in his position he has direct financial interest in encouraging people to drive and buy cars rather than to bike.

 

[afransen]

He seems to have no actual hobbies, so what he does instead is take a picture of University Ave every time he comes downtown and post it on twitter with a whinge about bike lanes, even when the picture shows traffic flowing freely. Obviously in his position he has direct financial interest in encouraging people to drive and buy cars rather than to bike.

I don't know about direct financial interest. Bike lanes on University or Toronto in general would basically have nil impact on general automotive sales.

He probably is just harbouring a pro-car bias.

 

[Johnny Au]

I would not be surprised if Flavio Volpe is involved with the anti-bike lane movement on Marlee Avenue as it is in the riding his father represented for a long time.

 

[Natika33]

On behalf of 'anyone'......... LOL, yes.

1) The street is not fully pedestrianized, there is at least one through lane on most blocks. There is a loading zone (15m time limit) between Mansfield and Peel.

2) Here's a pic of one section:

View attachment 642962

Three, that's not my pic...........but you can find the source info for it and see more pics, where I first posted it, over in the Yonge St. revitalization thread:

Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

YongeTOmmorrow is about as half-assed as you can get. It was designed by and for cars with box checked for sidewalks. Yonge should be completely pedestrianized from Bloor to King with 6AM to 10AM allowed for delivery trucks and none on the weekends. Every other city on the planet manages to...

urbantoronto.ca

Or pop over to the source directly for even more pics:

Sainte-Catherine Ouest Project

Discover the redevelopment project of Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest: A one-of-a-kind pedestrian experience downtown!

montreal.ca

From the above, you can also see a schematic diagram showing the loading zone (pink) and through lanes for cars (arrows)

View attachment 642963

Thank you! So, if I'm understanding this correctly, you could mostly pedestrianize but not completely pedestrianize (i.e., woonerf) Queen St by widening the sidewalks but keeping some indents for loading zones and allowing some traffic through?

 

[evandyk]

In most pedestrianized zones in European cities, it's not that it's actually impossible to drive a car through them. A lot of them even expressly allow it for things like accessing hotels, etc. and have loading times and zones. The zones are just generally reserved for pedestrians rather than cars, and when cars do need to make their way through, they don't have priority.

 

[Northern Light]

Thank you! So, if I'm understanding this correctly, you could mostly pedestrianize but not completely pedestrianize (i.e., woonerf) Queen St by widening the sidewalks but keeping some indents for loading zones and allowing some traffic through?

Which section of Queen West?

***

Also, silly question.....but why are we talking pedestrianization projects in the Cycling thread?

 

[Natika33]

Which section of Queen West?

***

Also, silly question.....but why are we talking pedestrianization projects in the Cycling thread?

Well, it would be for bikes and pedestrians, but if I've dragged us too far off top, I am happy to move on. (To answer your question though, I was thinking of west of the city hall parking lot to Bathurst or wherever people decide is best)

 

[Northern Light]

Well, it would be for bikes and pedestrians, but if I've dragged us too far off top, I am happy to move on.

Its a perfectly valid subject. I just think its probably better suited to a thread like Vision Zero

Or maybe this thread:

Pedestrian zones, streets and public spaces upgrade

Plans underway to redesign Toronto streets and public spaces Toronto streets and public spaces could see major transformation fast with COVID-19 clearing the way. Mark McAllister reports on big plans in the works around Yonge and University and what it means for the city of the future.

urbantoronto.ca

Tangents happen, that's fine, I just think we want to be careful not to let them run a thread completely away from its intended topic.

(To answer your question though, I was thinking of west of the city hall parking lot to Bathurst or wherever people decide is best)

I'd have to take a close look at how each block is serviced and accessed. You can't remove resident or business access to existing, legal, on-site (private) parking, and likewise servicing/loading etc.

For traditional, lowrise commercial, rear-lane ways may suffice, if they exist in a given block, additional loading zones in front may be required.

I've covered the issue of Queen from Yonge to University in some thread or another....noting that because of the north side access to City Hall garage, a total pedestrianization is not feasible in the Bay to York block, but is for the remainder.

I haven't yet looked at areas to the west, along Queen.

I did look at some sections of King............somewhere, LOL I can't remember how much territory I looked at, I think it was mostly in the University to Spadina section, and there were some blocks that could be done, and others that could not.

 

[reaperexpress]

Apologies if this has already been posted but I just noticed that Metrolinx finally installed automatic gates at the crossing between the Finch Hydro Corridor bike path and the Barrie line. Previously there was just a sign saying watch for trains, though the adjacent busway crossing always had lights and gates so it wasn't really an issue.

New gates:

Previous situation:

 

[UntitledCyclist]

Apologies if this has already been posted but I just noticed that Metrolinx finally installed automatic gates at the crossing between the Finch Hydro Corridor bike path and the Barrie line. Previously there was just a sign saying watch for trains, though the adjacent busway crossing always had lights and gates so it wasn't really an issue.

New gates:

Previous situation:

So are you... Ontario Traffic Man? The superhero we all need!

 

[junctionist]

I don't know about direct financial interest. Bike lanes on University or Toronto in general would basically have nil impact on general automotive sales.

He probably is just harbouring a pro-car bias.

They could lower sales if everyone actually used cycling and transit as a mode of transportation. I have a 20-year-old car that's in excellent shape because I use transit and cycling for a significant number of trips. I have no plans to replace it any time soon, even though I can afford a new luxury car.

If you take away the bike lanes, I'm just going to become more hostile to buying a car. You can't force people to spend that much money to get around safely. Even an old beater car can cost a lot of money to insure and maintain. Driving should be a choice and not something the government and big business force you to do to get around safely and efficiently. I work hard for my money, and I need choice.

 

[afransen]

They could lower sales if everyone actually used cycling and transit as a mode of transportation. I have a 20-year-old car that's in excellent shape because I use transit and cycling for a significant number of trips. I have no plans to replace it any time soon, even though I can afford a new luxury car.

If you take away the bike lanes, I'm just going to become more hostile to buying a car. You can't force people to spend that much money to get around safely. Even an old beater car can cost a lot of money to insure and maintain. Driving should be a choice and not something the government and big business force you to do to get around safely and efficiently. I work hard for my money, and I need choice.

But those particular lanes, or even if they stopped selling cars in Toronto completely would hardly impact general automotive market.

 

[junctionist]

But those particular lanes, or even if they stopped selling cars in Toronto completely would hardly impact general automotive market.

If people can make certain choices in Toronto, others can make those same choices in other cities too. It's not like Toronto exists in a bubble.

 

[evandyk]

I didn't think it would cause any controversy to suggest that the lead lobbyist for car manufacturers in Canada has an interest in making getting around the city by bike harder for people by maintaining the car-centric status quo.