I’m frightened by the decision of The Public Works and
Infrastructure Committee to vote against putting full bike lanes on Annette
Street between Runnymede and Jane. The small number of extra parking spots and
unproven increase in revenue for local businesses by having unsafe sharrows
instead of full lanes for cyclists does not make sense when compromising the
safety of my wife, ten year old son, eight year old daughter, four year old
daughter and me.
I believe that the Committee should reverse their decision or
that City Council should overturn it at their next meeting later this month.
Here are three reasons:
First, the decision contravenes the City’s plan to transform
Toronto into a leading, contemporary urban centre that is safe for cyclists and
progressive when it comes to clean forms of transportation.
Second, City staff and majority feedback from the community
suggested the Committee, in fact, vote in favour of full bike lanes.
And finally, this decision could set a very dangerous
precedent for other plans for bike safety in the city; putting tens of thousands
of people at risk of death or injury.
RE: item PW19.8, please circulate this message to all
councillors.
Thank you,
Junction/High Park resident
To whom it may concern:
Before I begin, I wish to express my concern for the lack of
transparency on this matter demonstrated by Councilor Saundercook. I am a
resident on Gilmour Avenue just north of Annette Street and I can confirm that
at no time have we ever received any form of notification from Mr. Saundercook
in regard to the matter of the Bike Lanes.
As I have stated in my e-mail to the PWIC, I have two children
ages 11 and 13 who would greatly benefit by having a dedicated bike lane. They
currently ride their bikes to and from school (Annette St. P.S.). Unfortunately
for safety reasons, they must do so on the sidewalk due to the heavy motor
vehicle traffic on Annette St. This means they have to mingle with pedestrian
traffic. (I'm sure I don't have to explain the concerns associated with this.)
By establishing a dedicated bike lane, both my children will
be able to travel back and forth to school far more safely than any of the other
proposed initiatives.
I ask that you overturn the position of the Public Works and
Infrastructure Committee and approve the dedicated full bike lane proposal.
Give my children and all of us who cycle in the area a safe
means of transiting along Annette Street.
Sincerely,
Gilmour Avenue
I’m writing to you in reference to item number PW19.8. As a
cyclist in the city I can’t stress how vital bike lanes are to me personally,
and every cyclist I know. However, cyclists aren’t the only ones affected. I’ve
included a link to an article from today’s Star, about pedestrian safety and
bike lanes.
http://www.thestar.com/article/520893
Often times when bike lanes aren’t available, cyclists feel
that breaking the rules and riding on the sidewalk is a much smaller risk than
being on the road with speeding car traffic. Adding to that, some aggressive
drivers feel that they shouldn’t have to share “their road” with cyclists and
try to squeeze them out. It’s not a big surprised that the sidewalk seems a lot
less risky for bikes. Putting in bike lanes, means that drivers truly get their
own bike-free lanes, and cyclists respect that sidewalks are for walking. I
don’t understand what could be more important than making getting around in the
city safer for everybody.
If safety isn’t reason enough, here are some more reasons why
biking should be encouraged with more bike lanes. Clearly we can’t keep
squeezing more cars into the city. Making alternate methods of transportation
safer will make more people feel comfortable taking them. A lot of people say
that they would bike, but that the idea of sharing a lane with car traffic is
far to scary. Biking helps keep people active and healthy, it’s better for the
environment, and one person on one bike takes up a lot less space in traffic
than each individual in a car. If we make cycling more accessible in the city,
it will take more people out of cars and make the flow of traffic much better.
We need more bike lanes, for the safety of cyclists. It is
more important to get cars off the road than to provide street parking directly
in front of a business. I have yet to be able to find a parking spot directly in
front of many businesses that I frequent.
Lets provide a safe bike lane for the city's cyclists, please.
Windermere Av.
Hello, I am writing with regards to item number PW19.8. I
understand that the bike lane on Annette Street has been voted down at a recent
meeting. I'd like to remind you that the City does in fact have a bike plan that
is supposed to be completed by 2012. This vote is just another indication that
this plan has no legs at all.
I am a cyclist and use my bicycle to commute to and from work
every day, year-round. I do not own a car and do not want one. I feel that I am
paying high taxes to subsidize roads that I don't use or roads that are actually
too dangerous for cyclists to use.
Not only that -- Toronto has a huge smog problem and all
commuters face gridlock in various forms every day. I think the City needs to
take drastic measures to improve conditions but is continually paralysed in its
efforts by petty neighbourhood concerns and car lobbies. You should be trying to
improve transportation for ALL users and ALL taxpayers, not for just a few.
I believe you should go ahead with the Annette bike lane.
However, it would be preferable if you set priorities and worked on the major
arteries first: Bloor-Danforth, College, Dundas, Queen, Avenue Rd, Bay etc.
before you go on to smaller projects.
I sincerely hope that you reconsider your decision. And while
we wait for those bike lanes, I hope that you instruct the police to turn a
blind eye when cyclists take to the sidewalks -- it's the only safe solution to
the problem at the moment.
I drive regularly on Runnymede and when the bike lanes were
installed I was expecting to find increase traffic slowdowns and delays. I was
pleasantly surprised to find that the Runnymede traffic was flowing through the
intersections faster than before the bike lanes. I realized that on Runnymede,
the Annette and Dundas intersections were now more efficient because there is a
lane for left turns, a lane for right turns and a center lane for going straight
though. Because you are not trapped behind people making left or right turns you
usually get through the intersection on the first green. I often drive south on
Runnymede from StClair to Annette in rush hour and there is a crush of cars from
just past the underpass right through to Dundas. Usually I get through on the
first green light.
I support the bike lanes and I feel that they are efficient
and safe. I suspect that they are safer because the single lane will not allow
drivers to race past other cars. I am interested in any statistics you have
regarding the frequency and type of accidents on the bike lane roads compared to
non-bike lane roads.
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
Thank you for you recognizing the growing importance of
walking and cycling in addressing both our transportation challenges and our
public health.
Please consider installing bike lanes on Annette instead of
sharrows so that safety is improved and more people can choose to cycle in the
City.
I am a Health Promoter at a Community Health Centre. I work
with a group of experienced cyclists to improve conditions for cycling and
walking in the areas surrounding our health centre here in the South East part
of Toronto. The group was active in promoting Bike Lanes on Dundas St. East. and
continues to work with the community and City staff to implement other
infrastructure supportive of cycling and pedestrians.
Recently we engaged with Transportation Services to review and
evaluate sharrows installed on Dundas St. E. over the Don Valley Bridge.
Discussions to date indicate that sharrows as developed by the Transport
Association of Canada (TAC) are not intended to create space for cyclists,
rather they are intended to show cyclists the correct position to ride on the
road (the ideal distance from curb).
This is a fundamental distinction. A bike lane in contrast
demarcates a space for the cyclist and a space for the car. The separated space
is critical in providing a sense of safety because the drivers generally respect
the line. The City’s Cycling Masterplan cites safety as the number one concern
for would-be cyclists. The number one preferred safety improvement cited by the
report was the installation of more bike lanes.
Photos taken approximately one year after the sharrows were
installed on Dundas E. show that 80% of the cars (between 5 and 6 P.M.)
routinely drive over the sharrows – even when cyclists are present. As a result
cyclists cannot ride in the proper location as demarcated by the sharrow because
the car is on the sharrow.
Sharrows and bike lanes by definition serve two very different
purposes. I urge you to install bike lanes on Annette as an effective measure to
improve safety for cyclists of all skill levels.
If you have any questions or would like to see the photos
please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your work on this issue.
I write to you as one of the people sidelined in the
discussion of the bike plan. Specifically, I came out to three meetings in an
attempt to find ways to provide an effective bicycle link between Jane Street
and Runnymede, while respecting the concerns of the local merchants regarding
parking and delivery access. I and others worked hard to find proposals that
would provide safety for cyclists and address local merchant concerns. I think
it safe to say that the current recommendations of the public works and
infrastructure committee ignored our concerns and the recommendations of city
staff in favour of claims about parking made by a minority of merchants and
local residents. The committee ignored options that the public presented and
discussed, namely bicycle lanes and possibly bypass routes, in favour of
painting "sharrows" on the street, an option that nobody I know of in the
community proposed.
As far as I can tell, the claims made by the local merchants
about parking simply have no due diligence behind them. While I accept that the
city should not, indeed must not, ignore the concerns of local business,
numerous options for ensuring that shoppers could park have so far gone
unexplored. A number of possible options for replacing residential parking with
merchant parking, both on Annette and on the side streets, have simply not
received any consideration that we know about.
This city needs to balance environmental concerns in many
ways. We need to ensure that we do not drive residents into the arms of "big
box" stores which provide "free" parking. However, when a considerable majority
of local residents turn out and support the installation of bicycle lanes; when
the city's own plan calls for bicycle lanes, I think the bar for turning these
lanes down somewhat higher than a simple declaration that some local residents
and some merchants simply do not want to give up any parking. Otherwise, we
might as well admit that public input matters little in this city, and that
Toronto will not stand behind its own plans. At the very least, if you do not
believe you can override Councillor Saundercook's recommendation completely, I
ask you to please consider accepting the bicycle lanes provisionally, pending
the implementation of measures designed to reserve the remaining parking spaces
on Annette for those who truly need them, namely the local merchants.
Harshaw Ave
The same writer also sent the following email directly to
Councillor Saundercook, copying Councillors Heaps and the Cycling Committee:
I write today to urge you in the strongest possible terms not
to poison the political process around the Annette Street Bicycle lanes by
making any more threats against the bike plan as a whole. Instead, I urge you,
again in the strongest terms, to either accept council's decision to complete
the bike plan, or to seek compromise more in line with city policies, and more
consistent with the safety of cyclists. The installation of sharrows on the road
does not come close to meeting the needs of the cycling community.
At a very minimum, I urge you to meet with the cycling
community and the Annette Street businesses and explore options for ensuring the
safety of cyclists while providing the maximum possible parking for the Annette
Street business community.
Harshaw Ave
I am writing in reference to agenda item PW19.8. I attended
the most recent PWIC meeting and provided a deputation in favour of the City
Staff's recommendation to install bike lanes on Annette Street. I find it
concerning that despite a strong City Staff report and seven deputants in favour
of the installation of a bike lane (and one not in favour) that councillor
Grimes motioned the installation of sharrows on Annette Street rather than
motioning to approve the City Staff recommendation. City Staff were able to
provide a detailed report of the process by which the bike lanes were
recommended including a community meeting at which 70% of those in attendance
were in favour of the installation of bike lanes. The staff had also prepared a
map indicating that at this community meeting, the majority of those present
were from the local area.
Of my utmost concern is that the actions of Councillor Grimes
demonstrate a lack of respect for due process and for the City Staff's report.
The motion from the PWIC sets a precedent and will continue to slow the
implementation of the bike plan, which is abhorrently behind schedule.
I am writing with regard to the proposed bike lanes along
Annette Street, east of Jane Street (matter PW19.8). Would you please have the
Clerk's Office circulate this email to all Councillors in advance of their
upcoming meeting on this matter? Please confirm back to me that this will occur.
I am homeowner near Jane and Annette, living on Humbercrest
Blvd, south of Baby Point Road. I am also a frequent patron of many of the
businesses along Annette Street. I believe the vitality of the neighbourhood
cluster of shops around Jane & Annette is critical our neighbourhood. They
provide a good range of services within walking and cycling distance for our
neighbourhood. The benefits of this are at least two-fold. First, people access
these shops by foot and pedal, not just automobile. This promotes a healthy
life-style and reduces the impact of automobile use on our environment. Second,
the neighbour-to-neighbour interaction on our sidewalks and in these shops
enhance our neighbourhood: its' friendliness and its' safety. I would also add
that these shops provide some valuable employment to our community.
That being said, I also support the expansion of Toronto's
Bikeways. I have been a cyclist for more that 50 years, and know that the
positive impact of more bike usage is constantly underestimated. More bikes mean
fewer cars, meaning less pollution and congestion. More bikes mean a healthier
citizenry. More bikes mean more eyes on the community and more street-level
interaction. (People don't stop their cars and/or get out to chat in nearly the
same way as cyclists do!).
I understand that there is a concern the reduced number of
parking spaces will have a negative impact on the shops along Annette. I can
speak with personal experience that parking in almost never a problem in this
area. This experience spans 24 years. I say "almost" because during rush hour
when no parking is available in one direction or an other, one can be sent
further to find a spot. I have never, ever NOT found a spot within a reasonable
walk however - and I mean about 50 yards! So, I don't expect a material negative
impact from the parking reconfiguration.
I also feel that an increased bicycle flow will increase
business to Annette St shops.
So, please register my support for a full Bikeway along
Annette. I do NOT support Sharrows, as I feel that this is a half-measure
leaving the glass half-empty at best (not half-full!). I cycle along Annette
very, very frequently, often with my special needs doaught on our tandem
bicycle. We are much safer on dedicated Bikeways, although these are very few
and far between in the Wast End! Having cyclists share a lane with cars is the
status quo. Bikeways need to be developed to allow safe, separated cycling.
Painting Sharrows will simply allow more "road rage" over who has the
right-of-way. Cyclist will feel that the lane is "theirs" while motorists will
thumb their noses with a "it's not exclusive!" wave.
Thank-you for considering my views and rationale as you make a
decision on this important matter.
Humbercrest Boulevard
Thanks to city of Toronto for addressing the needs of
residents with recent infrastructure and roadwork on Annette St........ we need
it.
No thanks to city of Toronto for not addressing the needs of
residents with a full bike lane on Annette St.............. we need it.
Windermere Ave.
I live at XXX Annette St. and I am writing in reference to
item # PW19.8. I am in full support of the bicycle lanes on Annette St. I have 2
school age children and we need a safe route to travel east/west. I believe that
full bike lanes are one of the best ways to get people out of their cars and
onto their bikes and to provide a safer means of navigating through city
streets. More and better quality bike lanes are an absolute requirement for
Toronto to move towards reducing air pollutants and vehicular traffic.
We are writing in support of the Annette Street Bike Lane
(Item No: PW19.8) instead of sharrows and would like to see the committee
reverse its decision when it goes to City council for approval on October 29-30.
We reside in Ward 14 and are a family of avid cyclists who frequently cycled in
the High Park neighbourhood. It is our desire for a full bike lane on Annette
Street in the name of safety for both cyclist and drivers alike.
Algonquin Ave
I am a home owner on Willard Ave. south of Annette and an avid
cyclist. I attended the community meeting in September reviewed all options and
put forward my thoughts on each on the form provided by City staff. I believe
full bike lanes between Jane and Runnymead on Annette is the right choice and am
disappointed in the compromise of sharrows put forward by Councillor
Saundercook.
I believe he is favouring a few small businesses over the
wants of significantly more area residents. I think full bike lanes with parking
available all day rather than just outside of rush hour is being seriously
overlooked. Don't these business owners see that customers can now visit them
anytime of the day even if they have to walk a little further and I expect they
will see more traffic from customers who will cycle to their shops. As a long
time bicycle commuter I have used a great many of Toronto's streets and found
that sharrows, like those on Lansdowne south of Bloor are not as effective as
true bike lanes.
I am writing in reference to Item number PW19.8.
As a Toronto cyclist who often finds myself cycling to Keel Street
from Dovercourt Road, I am in support of introducing bicycle lanes
on Annette Street. Currently, there are few safe route options for
cyclists between downtown and the West end. Introducing cyclist
lanes on Annette would greatly improve cyclists' safety while
commuting.
Please foward this email electornically to all
councillors. Hopefully this has not been sent too late, for these bike
lanes are greatly needed.
thank you for your time
I live in the High Park area and am concerned that the
proposed full bike lane for Annette Street will be replaced instead by
sharrows. I am hoping that the committee’s decision will be reversed
when this item goes to City Council for approval on October 29 or 30th.
As someone who uses the city’s bike lanes on a daily basis to get to
work and travel throughout the city, I believe that full bike lanes are
one of the best ways to get people out of their cars and onto their
bikes and to provide a safer means of navigating through city streets.
More and better quality bike lanes are an absolute requirement for
Toronto to move towards reducing air pollutants and vehicular traffic.
Would you please forward my letter electronically to
all councillors so they will directly receive an email copy as well as
in the Council agenda package?
Thank you
Alhambra Avenue,
City Council,
I am in favour of full, proper, bike lanes on Annette
St. As a cyclist who has been commuting for many years, I feel
relatively safe riding city streets without bike lanes, but I know of
many cyclists who limit their riding to bike lanes only. Compromising
the bike lane planned for Annette with road markings, compromises the
safety of my friends not to mention the entire Bike Plan for Toronto.
Thanks for considering my opinion.
City Staff has had to work way too hard to help
promote biking , walking and TTC'ing over car use . It should be easy
and obvious that if you make a safe lane for bikes you will get a
substantial number of cars off the roads. That's in everyone's best
interest.
Please get on with it and approve Option 1 on item
PW19.8, the Annette bike lanes from Jane to Runnymede, at your meeting
Oct. 29 or 30. We're all tired of having to fight for the common good
over the questionable interests of a few.
As people who have commuted by bicycle in Toronto for
over 20 years, regularly cycle on Annette Street, and have children who
cycle throughout the City, we are deeply concerned that the Public Works
Committee voted against putting bike lanes on Annette Street.
We, like so many Torontonians, have been waiting for
too long for the City to prove it's commitment to building a solid
network of bike lanes in this City. Year after year the city falls short
of its targets. The decision regarding Annette Street is a particularly
bad sign because there are no strong reasons to turn the proposal down.
There is ample parking nearby for people wanting to take advantage of
the shops along that stretch and, without a doubt, a bike lane will only
serve to bring more people into that area. It seems as though a decision
is being made to put people's lives at risks in order to allow car
drivers the opportunity to park a little closer to shops they want to
visit. The proposed alternative of sharrows is not a solution; they are
simply dangerous.
We have met many people who would like to commute by
bicycle to work, or would just like to go for a regular bicycle ride in
their neighbourhood for fitness and/or pleasure, but will not do so in
this City because they do not feel safe. If the Annette Street proposal
is not approved by Council, it will set a precedent that will bode
poorly for future attempts to make cycling safe throughout Toronto.
Please forward this e-mail electronically to all
Councillors.
Yarmouth Road
I am a resident of Ward 14, and am both a cyclist, and
driver. I drive across Annette St. more frequently than cycle along
Annette. I support the option of full bicycle lanes along Annette St.
between Runnymede and Jane St., over the option of sharrows along this
section.
I frequently ride my bike on sections of Dundas St.
East (and less frequently along Lansdowne Ave.) that have sharrows
installed, and believe they offer no safety benefit to cyclists. I
believe full bike lanes do offer a safety benefit. I much prefer to
cycle on roads with full bike lanes for that reason. I understand the
reason both Lansdowne and Dundas Streets have sharrows is that the
roadway in those cases is too narrow for full bike lanes. I understand
this is not the case along Annette.
I encourage City Council to overturn the Committee's
decision to recommend sharrows, and follow the recommendation of city
staff to implement full bike lanes along this section of Annette St. I
look forward to using them.
Thank you,
Glenlake Ave
I am writing to request that Council approve the
bikelanes on Annette Street, i.e. that Council reverse the
recommendation of the Public Works Committee which was to not support
bikelanes on Annette street.
I am a resident of Ward 26 not of Ward 19; however I
feel that this decision if not reversed would set a dangerous precedent
for the future of the Toronto Bike Plan
- Since its adoption by Council in 2001, the city
has made abysmal progress in building the bikeway network --
especially in the construction of on-street bike lanes. (Of 495 km
of on-street bike lanes Toronto committed to building by 2011, there
are only created 85 to date -- including a mere 7.7kms in 2007!)
- Unless we collectively step up, Toronto will fail
to build the kind of bike network that could help make cycling a
safe and efficient transportation method .
- Maintaining the Annette lanes is a signal that
the City takes cycling seriously as a means of transportation - it
helps to support the city�s green agenda � cycling is not just a
recreational pastime
- With so many kms of bike lanes yet to be built, a
decision to divert or eliminate lanes from Annette based on the
unsubstantiated � and many believe unwarranted - fears from a small
number of business owners is a dangerous and unacceptable precedent
to set � it could blow the Bike Plan to bits and lead to a
non-network of isolated bike lane segments scattered across the
city. This is NOT acceptable.
- This section of Annette is the most logical
continuation of the already-approved bike lane route along Dupont
and Annette. If a relatively minor commercial stretch such as this
cannot handle bike lanes, what are the prospect for all those other
hundreds of committed-but-unbuilt bike lanes, like those in ward 26?
Hanna Road
I would like to convey my support for full
implementation of bicycle lanes on Annette St. between Jane St. and
Runnymede Rd, as recommended by the City in the September 29th’s report.
The people who live in and travel through this
neighbourhood have shown their overwhelming support for these bicycle
lanes. Over 80% of people at the September public meeting supported bike
lanes along this route. The small number of opponents to the plan are
concerned about a loss of parking spaces; however, City staff have made
it clear that when the bike lanes are implemented, there will be enough
parking spaces to meet existing demand. As a resident who regularly
commutes by bike along Annette to visit family in the Jane/Dundas area,
I recognize the need for improved safety for cyclists, having
experienced first hand cars coming perilously close to me whenever I
ride along this route. Out of sheer luck, I have not yet been hit, but I
have twice witnessed a cyclist being scraped by a car that did not give
enough space as it went by the cyclist, which led to personal injury
(that was thankfully not life-threatening in both cases), as well as
damaged property. In both cases the drivers said they “did not see them
(the cyclist)”. I am certain that had there been a bike lane, these
accidents would not have happened.
These bicycle lanes are in Toronto’s Official Bike
Plan. Year after year, we have been told that the bicycle lanes in the
Bike Plan will be installed, as part the City’s commitment to double the
number of bike trips made in the city as well as to reduce the number of
bicycle collisions and injuries.
Please show that our opinions matter at City Hall, and
that our safety is worth more than some unfounded concerns about lost
parking spots. Please reject the October 10th recommendation for
sharrows and instead reinstate Option 1 from the September 29 staff
report for a bicycle lane along Annette St. between Jane St. and
Runnymede Rd.
Thank-you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Sorauren Ave
To all Toronto Councillors,
I am writing once again to express my family's support
for the proper bike lanes to be established on Annette St. between
Runnymede and Jane. We live on Evelyn Avenue, and our grown daughters
and other family members bike a lot to and around our neighbourhood for
transportation not just pleasure. One of our daughters, a careful
signal-observant cyclist, was hit by a car on Annette St. at High Park a
few years ago, and we have been increasingly concerned about bike
safety.
We were initially pleased to hear the bike lanes were
to be installed on Annette with the new road reconstruction and dismayed
at the tactic used by businesses and our Councillor to try to change
them on the final western stretch. We were shocked at the 3-2 PWIC vote
after the staff report had recommended proper bike lanes.
There is to be a two year evaluation period of the "sharrows".
Why? So that a cyclist will be hit or so that cyclists will be
discouraged from cycling along that part of Annette? What is the point?
Or so that businesses can assess their profits? Will
they keep track of customers who have arrived on foot, on a bike or by
car? Lots of cyclists patronise businesses too!
And if Councillor Saundercook can threaten new
tactics, so can the taxpayers he supposedly represents. I have totally
lost any faith I had that he represents the voice of the people in this
neighbourhood. It is not enough to get dressed up in historic costume
all summer for the Junction Centennial to impress the voters. We expect
a long-term vision for the next 100 years. And bikes are part of that
future!
Please, Councillors, vote in accordance with the
City's long-term goal of increasing the number of bike lanes in this
city. There is no reason why this small stretch of Annette St. should be
excepted in this long-term and sustainable plan.
With best wishes in your deliberations,
Evelyn Avenue,
I am writing about the recent decision by the Public
Works Committee regarding bike lanes on Annette Street. It is item
number PW19.8. I was very disappointed with the decision. Putting
sharrows instead of a full bike lane sets a horrible precedent for the
rest of the city and makes Annette less safe for cyclists.
The willingness of people to leave their cars at home
and become cycling commuters is very related to the degree of safety
that people feel exists on busy streets. If they feel it can be done
safely, they will do it. I know this because I am one of those people
who have made the leap. Three years ago I was a purely recreational
cyclist. I would ride with my kids on weekends and occasionally on my
own for exercise but never for the purpose of commuting to work. I
decided to give it a try since a number of my colleagues commuted by
bike and my employer had an indoor bike room for locking bikes and
showers. It was a bit of a logistical challenge managing “office”
clothes along with cycling clothes and figuring out how to pick up my
kids from school/daycare however once those challenges were figured out
it proved very doable and I haven’t looked back. For most of the last
three years I have commuted from my house at Morningside and Windermere
(south of Bloor between Jane and Runnymede) to Yonge and St. Clair. It
is just under 11km. Needless to say I've saved money, reduced my carbon
footprint and get much more exercise.
I am on Annette every day during my commute to and
from work and I can tell you that the difference between Annette without
bike lanes and Davenport with bike lanes is stark. I feel so much safer
on Davenport.
I firmly believe that if I can do it---a mini-van
driving hockey Dad, others can too and the major way to get others to
get on their bikes and give it a try is to convince them that it is safe
to do so. Bike lanes give that added measure of safety and while bike
sharrows are better than nothing, they are not nearly as reassuring as a
full bike lane. I hear from people all the time that they would like to
ride but just don't feel safe on the streets.
If Toronto City Council really wants to get other
people like me out of their cars and onto bikes, they will change the
decision by the Public Works Committee and put full bike lanes on
Annette Street and I ask all Councillors to vote against the
installation of sharrows on Annette and instead support full bike lanes.
I also ask that you electronically forward this letter
to all councilors prior to the next meeting of council.
Sincerely,
We cyclists, commuters, transit users, consumers and
other Toronto citizens absolutely need a bike lane on Annette Street.
When the issue comes up in Council, please ensure the voice of the
majority is heard and we vote to implement the new bike lane!
I am a home owner and new resident of Bloor West
Village (Beresford Ave., one block south of Annette), and an avid
cyclist. I am writing in support of full bike lanes on Annette Street.
There are many reasons why I support full bike lanes on Annette:
- It is supported by the local community.
- It was recommended by city staff. The staff
report showed that Annette would have sufficient parking with full
bike lanes.
- Full bike lanes are safer than road sharing with
vehicles. Safety concerns are the biggest impediment to cycling.
- Encouraging cycling has many additional benefits
for our community: improving physical fitness & health, reducing
vehicle congestion, reducing smog and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Toronto is far behind other cities in supporting
cycling. I travel to Europe regularly and spend time in big cities
like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. Hundreds of thousands of
cyclists use bike lanes in these cities for their daily commute and
other activities.
- The city has a goal of 495 km of bike lanes by
2012. Reaching even that rather modest goal requires action now!
Thank you for your assistance in this important
matter.
Please forward this email to all Councillors regarding
the above item for the Oct. 29/30 Council meeting
I am writing in support of full bike lanes, on Annette
between Runnymede and Jane.
This is our one opportunity to rectify the situation
and provide the safest possible route for cyclists.
My husband, two school-aged children and myself live
on Annette and High Park Ave, and regularly cycle in our community.
Please make our route as safe as possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
I am writing in reference to item number PW19.8, and
the undemocratic decision by the Public Works and Infrastructure
Committee against putting bike lanes on Annette Street between Jane St
and Runnymede Rd.
Please have someone respond to my key concerns of: 1)
The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is undermining the
democratic process. I believe the idea behind a public committee is to
service "the public" which in this case strongly favour bike lanes.
2) The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee has
not made public the rationale for why they support sharrows over bike
lanes.
Where is the comparison of pros and cons to support
the sharrows decision. If there is such a comparison conducted by Public
Works and Infrastructure Committee please share this. If there is one,
and its not being shared publicly, thus again the democratic process is
being undermined.
3) It is my understanding that bike lanes are
generally preferred and recommended over sharrows unless space is
limited.
It is my understanding that space is not limited in
this area and from a health perspective bike lanes attract new cyclists
where wide curb lanes (sharrows) do not. From an environmental
perspective I believe the city wants to promote and not deter greener
forms of transportation. Note: I'm told the City of Toronto will be
conducting a safety study on sharrows. Does this imply sharrows are not
quite as safe as dedicated bike lanes?.
It would be much appreciated if the clerk's office
could forward this letter electronically to all councillors. Thank you
for your time and I look forward to a response.
I find it very interesting that the most vocal store
owner The Wintergarden has a 10'x20' portable car port beside his store.
While screaming his customers must park 3 blocks away if parking is so
tight why dose he not close down his permanent sidewalk sale and park
his customers beside his store, there's room for 3 cars.
Must we trade cyclist safety for sales space for a
store? As a cyclist living on Runnymede I've almost collected door
prizes on Annette and think councilor Saundercook and the store owners
should pay into a fund for cyclists injured by their decision.
Thank You
A Runnymede resident and cyclist
I would like to express my recent distress in learning
that the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recently recommended
that dedicated bike lanes not be installed on Annette St in Ward 13. I
am a homeowner and resident of Ward 13 (Durie St, just south of Annette)
and fully support efforts to install bike lanes on Annette street. I
certainly hope City Council does not heed such a short-sighted and
archaic recommendation.
While I am an active cyclist, I also recognize the
need of motorists in the city - I have a young family and do find that
between soccer, hockey, groceries, etc, etc, cycling is often not a
viable option. However this selfish Committee recommendation only serves
to further degrade the ability of cyclist to travel safely within the
city. It is unfortunate that a small minority of motorists do not
recognize the rights of cyclists on the road, and this small minority
can inflict a heavy price for a cyclist - severe injury or death.
Dedicated cycling lanes do ensure that cyclists (adults and children,
alike) are able to travel safely with reduced fear of the consequences
of inconsiderate or careless motorists. I hope councilors will bear this
in mind when they vote later this month.
Considering that bike lanes have already been approved
for Annette St east of Runnymede, this recommendation makes even less
sense. East bound motor vehicle traffic will now be forced to funnel
down from 2 lanes to 1 at Runnymede, creating additional risks to
cyclists, as motorists race for 'pole position' at the Annette/Runnymede
intersection. This recommendation really is ridiculous!