I am writing to say that I am in support of full, not
shared, bike lanes on Annette Street the entire way. I am also writing
to express my dismay that this option was not supported by my local
councillor Bill Saundercook in spite of this being the choice of the
majority of people in the neighbourhood as well as the City's own study.
I want to know who Mr Saundercook represents if not
the people who live in his riding?? Bikes make sense but too many people
won't ride them in the city because they are afraid of cars. I ride my
bike all the time and that is what I always hear - "Aren't you scared to
ride in traffic? That's why I don't ride my bike". I have lived in
Europe and China and there it is safe to ride your bike, there are bike
lanes everywhere. Here it seems the car still rules, even as it is
killing us.
I want a bike path on Annette Street for myself, for
my son, and for all other environmentally minded people who would ride
bikes if the City made it safe and easy to do so.
Please add my voice to the many others I hope are
writing you in support of full bike lanes the entire length of Annette
Street.
Thanks,
Medland Street
I am writing to state that we fully support the
creation of designated bike lanes along Annette Street.
We live on the corner of xxx and Annette and would
welcome this addition to our street.
As a disabled person I would really appreciate a safe
place where I could use my electric trike.
Surely given the state of our environment as well as
the rising cost of gas this is the time when we need to establish
alternatives like a coherent Bikeway Network in downtown Toronto.
Many people - ourselves included- would bike more if
they weren't terrified of sharing tight spaces with automobiles- both
parked and moving.
Please recognize the previous consultation which
showed overwhelming support of the bike lanes and help establish a piece
of the Bikeway Network on Annette Street.
Thank you
With reference to item number PW19.8, and in the
interest of cycling safety, I'd like to see a bike lane installed on
Annette street. It's in the Bike Plan, it's recommended by the Planning
staff, and public support in favour of it should trump the opposition of
a few merchants.
Sharrows are an inadequate solution to bike safety.
There is little to no empirical evidence that sharrows provide safe
space for cyclists. A Florida study tested them where there was no
on-street parking (like Northbound on Lansdowne) and found that they
produced virtually no effect on motorist or cyclist positioning. A San
Francisco study tested them where there was on-street parking (like
Southbound on Lansdowne) and found differences in both cyclist and
motorist positioning, although when passing vehicles were present,
cyclists moved back to the right into the dooring zone. There was also
an informal pilot of sharrows in Vermont, but the Vermont Department of
Transportation decided to discontinue their use because cyclists felt
they were too small to be effective and motorists rarely noticed them.
My own experience with sharrows on Lansdowne is that
while they may give me a sense of entitlement, the traffic moves fast
and I fear being rear-ended.
If we want to get people out of their cars and onto
bikes, only bike lanes will give cyclists the sense of safety required
to turn more timid cyclists into commuters.
I have been informed and very disappointed in the
failure of city council to make good on proposed bike lanes along
Annette Street. Bicycle lanes must be a priority in ensuring that active
transportation be at the top of the transportation hierarchy. With our
current land use situation, we cannot delay with halfway and mediocre
solutions that in the long term don’t make the change that is required
for sustainable future development.
I urge you to reconsider on this matter. Bicycle lanes
must be present and should even include a physical barrier between
cyclists and motorised transport as well as designated signals and
lights. Transit systems are not sufficient and active transportation,
including cycling, must be accessible to people of all ages. Sharrows
are not an acceptable compromise.
Yours sincerely,
Dear Members of City Council,
We are writing in support of the proposed Annette
Street bike lane. As local residents and regular cycle commuters on
Annette Street, we know this bike lane is badly needed. We have taken
part in one public meeting and two Public Works and Infrastructure
meetings on this matter. Given recent bike lane decisions, we find it
hard to trust that councilors will make the correct decision about the
Annette Street bike lane. It is deeply concerning that Toronto is
falling so far behind in its commitment to a full safe bike lane
network.
Three options have been presented for the section of
Annette between Jane and Windermere. The only safe option for cyclists
is Option 1 - completion of the full bike lane. Option 2 - a detour
north - forces cyclists too much out of our way and will hence be
ignored. Option 3 - sharrows on the disputed section of the road - will
provide no safety for cyclists.
The bike lane plans as proposed for this route are to
be commended. We must keep the plan as it has been designed. Any
proposal to eliminate the proposed bike lane between Windermere and Jane
streets should not be adopted, as this will compromise cyclist safety
and could lead to more accidents and even deaths.
There has been some suggestion that the intersection
at Jane and Annette Streets is unsafe and possibly will be more of a
problem if a bike lane is installed. However, communication from the
Toronto Police 11 Division indicates this intersection is not less safe
than others. There have been no reported personal injuries there for a
number of years.
You have received many completed feedback forms from
the September public meeting on the proposed bike lane. A vast majority
of local residents wrote they want Option 1 and explained the problems
with Options 2 and 3. Also, the City's own transportation department is
recommending the full bike lane. We urge you to follow the democratic
process and listen to this feedback. The only meaningful option would
hence be the full bike lane on Annette.
Local residents want to lessen our carbon footprint
and want to shop at businesses that are part of the emerging green
economy. Most businesses are not protesting the full bike lane on
Annette. They are happy to have a full bike lane for their customers to
use.
We urge you to implement the full bike lane on Annette
Street. Your decision will be precedent setting. We need to start
implementing a model of cyclist and retailer cooperation when deciding
on bike lanes. Together we can work for a truly green and healthy city.
Thank you.
Durie Street
I am writing to you regarding the need for dedicated
bike lanes on Annette Street between Runnymede and Jane Streets. I live
on Medland Street (just north of Annette Street) and as an avid
cyclist I frequently use the entire length of Annette Street to get
around the city; a dedicated bike lane would make this street much safer
for cyclists. In fact, I was sideswiped by a car last year while riding
on Annette Street by a driver who was unaware that the current lanes are
to be shared with cyclists. I was four months pregnant and fortunately
my only injury was a dislocated shoulder, but it could have been much
worse. I am certain I would not have been hit if I had a dedicated lane
to ride in.
I attended the local meeting and there was
overwhelming community support of the dedicated bike lanes. I understand
that city staff also recommended Bike Lanes as the safest solution and
their report showed the street would still have sufficient parking for
local businesses. in addition to being a cyclist I am a driver and a
loyal local shopper and I strongly believe that the dedicated bike lanes
are a necessity for this neighbourhood.
I hope that City Council will approve the full bike
lanes at its Oct. 29/30 meeting.
Thank you,
I live in Ward 13; I travel by car, by foot and
bicycle, and am writing in favour of bike lanes along Annette St.
If City Council is NOT committed to encouraging
cycling, and is NOT serious about implementing the official Bike Plan,
then you can let the PWIC decision stand.
However, if you do believe it important to building
cycling infrastructure, and to begin to make up the lost ground in the
years since the Bike Plan was officially endorsed, then the Annette St.
Bike Lanes MUST be completed through to Jane St.
I strongly urge you to overturn -- to correct -- the
Oct. 10 vote by the PWIC.
The original PWIC decision was postponed in June in
order to re-study options and consult the community.
- As a result of the consultation, the community
overwhelmingly supported full bike lanes (81% in favour). Staff analysis
showed the clear majority of those responding lived in the immediate
vicinity.
- City staff strongly supports full bike lanes.
- Parking studies indicate there will still be enough
capacity to meet demand.
- Bike lanes are far safer than a shared roadway
approach on a street like Annette.
- If Toronto is unable to build bike lanes along a few
hundred meters of a relatively quiet semi-commercial street like
Annette, what chance is there to build the few hundred kilometers
required to complete the Bike Plan?
Small as this section is, your vote on this issue is
truly a test of Toronto's commitment to cycling, and in rejecting the
arbitrary process that sought to ignore the wishes of the community and
recommendation of city staff.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mayfield Ave
I am writing to express my strong support for full
implementation of dedicated bicycle lanes on Annette Street (between
Jane and Runnymede) as per the City's own recommendations (http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/pw/bgrd/backgroundfile-16029.pdf).
I was extremely disappointed in the October 10th
rejection, by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC), of
the staff recommendation to approve full bike lanes on this section of
Annette. This decision does not reflect my wishes nor does it, based on
the overwhelming support for bike lanes expressed in neighborhood
consultation, reflect the wishes of my community.
I am a long-time resident of this area near the
Jane/Annette intersection, and am a strong supporter of a dedicated bike
lane on Annette. I am also a strong supporter of the overall city plan
for an extensive - and real - network of dedicated bicycle lanes across
the city.
I strongly urge that City Council override the
misguided decision of the PWIC, and vote instead for full implementation
of the bike lanes, as per the recommended plan.
Sincerely,
Raymond Ave,
I am writing to express my concern that the Public
Works and Infrastructure Committee rejected the recommendation of staff
and the input of community members to approve installation of the
missing stretch of Annette bike lanes between Runnymede and Jane, and
instead adopted a motion to establish this stretch as a shared roadway,
effectively maintaining the status quo.
While I am now retired, I rode to work from the Jane &
Bloor area to the St. Clair & Avenue Rd. area for many years. I still
ride a bike for recreation and short shopping trips. I know the
importance of bike lanes, and the absence of any good west to east
corridor was something I have often lamented. I was encouraged to hear
of the proposal for the Annette St. corridor, and dismayed to learn that
the results of staff study and community consultation may be ignored.
I would like to urge all members of council to give
serious reconsideration to the negative decision of the Public Works
committee. I've just read today (October 18) in the Globe and Mail about
the remarkable example of Copenhagen, with its extensive cycling and
pedestrian network, and the other cities that are beginning to follow
its lead. The bike lane along Annette could be one small step toward
making Toronto a similar haven for cyclist and pedestrians.
I would appreciate it if you would make a copy of my
email available to all Council members.
Yours sincerely
Riverview Gardens
Mayor & Councillors:
I live just east of Runnymede and Annette and use the
Annette route for walking, biking, and occasionally driving. When I rent
a car, I park it on Annette, where I do not need a permit. So the
reduction in parking spaces associated with Option 1, full bike lanes,
may make things more difficult for me from a parking point of view.
Nevertheless, I think it's important to take a firm position on where we
are headed as a city: are we focused on accommodating the automobile or
moving toward more sustainable forms of transportation? In my view,
sustainability has to take precedence.
Therefore, I strongly support Option 1. Establishing
full bike lanes is the only logical option and the only one that will
truly complete this last stretch of a major cycling route.
Option 2, the proposed alternate routes north and
south of Annette, are not particularly safe and are definitely not
appealing from a cyclist's point of view. I almost never ride along this
stretch of St. Johns Road since it does not strike me as a safe or quick
route. (The offset intersections and narrow lanes don't help matters.)
Option 3, the sharrow approach, may be worthy of
further study and possible trials, but this small stretch of a major
bike route is not a logical place to try it. The only other "shared
lane" route that I am aware of, on Scarlett Road, is not helpful to
cyclists from my experience. Suddenly switching from a true bike lane to
a sharrow for this one small section of the Dupont/Annette route will
only confuse users (if it is noticed at all) and endanger the safety of
riders who think they are on a safe route.
Cyclists will generally keep travelling along this
portion of Annette, whether it is declared a bike lane or a sharrow or
nothing at all. Better that they should do so with the highest possible
degree of safety!
It seems shameful and wasteful that so much valuable
staff/committee/council time has had to be directed to dealing with this
little bit of the much broader bicycle network plan. It is also very
disturbing to see the wishes of the community and the recommendations of
staff being overruled, presumably to benefit a few businesses who think
they will be negatively affected.
The reduction of car traffic on Annette from 4 lanes
to 2 will help calm traffic, which can be formidable during rush hour.
Allowing parking during rush hour, which is part of Option 1, should
actually help the local businesses. And cyclists use businesses too!
I hope that wisdom and forward thinking will prevail,
and set a positive precedent so that similar attempts at leaving local
gaps in the system will be discouraged in the future. Therefore I urge
you to vote in favour of full bike lanes on this final section of the
Annette/Dupont route. Thank you.
Lincoln Ave.
I have been a resident of Bloor West Village for over
10 years. I have chosen this neighbourhood to raise my family because of
its sense of community and the feeling that I can take my young children
safely throughout the neighbourhood. Naturally we have a car, but when
possible we use public transit and more recently we purchased bikes for
the family, including a Chariot child carrier to attach to the back of
my bike, for my sons. I try and use my bike for most of my local errands
but often do not feel safe riding on the busy streets.
Continuing the bike lane along Annette St to Jane
certainly makes sense to me. It would certainly allow me to ride my bike
more safely in our neighbourhood and be able to leave the car at home
far more often.
Sincerely
Glenlake Ave
I am writing to express my disappointment with the
decision of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (Item Number
PW19.8) to recommend the installation of sharrows instead of bike lanes
on Annette Street. Based on the information provided to the Committee,
as reflected in the agenda for the Committee's October 10 meeting, the
installation of bike lanes in this corridor would be more appropriate.
As noted in the Committee's agenda, even during
periods of peak demand less than half of the existing on-street parking
in the area is occupied. Therefore, the conversion of half of that
existing on-street parking to bike lanes would not pose a threat to
businesses in the area. In fact, because bike lanes are a magnet for
bicyclists, they are likely to bring more
customers into the neighbourhood than surplus, unused parking stalls.
Bike lanes would also be a more efficient use of limited public
infrastructure than surplus, unused parking stalls.
Furthermore, as is acknowledged in the Committee's
agenda, the installation of bike lanes is the preference of the
overwhelming majority of the citizens participating in consultations
related to this project.
Finally, it is also worth noting that the corridor
(Annette between Jane and Runnymede) is designated in the City's Bike
Plan as a location for bike lanes. Surely the City's moral authority
would be weakened if it were to ignore or contravene its own plans.
In light of these considerations, I request that
Council turn aside the recommendation of Public Works and Infrastructure
Committee in the matter and instead approve the installation of bike
lanes on Annette Street.
Please forward my e-mail to all councillors, so they
will directly receive an email copy as well as in the Council agenda
package.
Thank you.
Refl. PW19.8
I definitely support the creation of additional bike
lanes in Toronto. It is only safe to bike when there is a designated
lane. The number of cars and trucks traveling on all the streets makes
it very dangerous to use this mode of transport unless there is adequate
space. I have attempted to travel to work on my bike and do not feel
safe on any of the east west roads because of the lack of designated
travel for bikes.
Please reconsider your decision of designating this a
bike lane.
Thank you.
re: PW19.8
I am writing with regard to the recent decision by the
PWIC to downgrade the proposed bike lane on Annette St to "sharrows". I
am a Ward 13 resident, and I live in the area directly affected by this
bike lane.
I was one of the many deputants present at the Oct 10
PWIC meeting that supported the bike lane. In view of the strong
recommendation of city staff, and the overwhelming public support for
bike lanes demonstrated at the Sept 15 meeting in Ward 13, I was frankly
quite shocked at how the democratic process was co-opted by a
"compromise" that had been worked out in advance by the local councillor.
If the new bike lane approval process is to have any significance,
surely the opposition of a few local businesses cannot be allowed to
overrule the desires of the majority of local residents who have spoken
on this issue.
The motion brought forward by Councillor Grimes
passed, in part due to the absence of Councillor Carroll. I am assuming
that she would have voted against the motion in view of her past
statements that I have witnessed at the PWIC (in particular her
statements about the bike plan and Tooker Gomberg's legacy, that she
made at the Sept meeting).
If it is at all possible, I would urge that City
Council reverse the amendment passed by the PWIC on item 19.8 in order
to carry forward the original proposal by city staff for full bike lanes
on Annette St, between Runnymede and Jane St.
Sincerely,
Ward 13 resident Bike commuter and shopper.