And here I thought Toronto had a money problem….Which thread? Has Toronto Lost it's Mind? Special Interest Groups? Bicycle thread?
Toronto infrastructure committee voted to upgrade winter bike lane service from "safe and passable" to "bare pavement". At what point to they acknowledge that the price paid to install and maintain bike lanes vastly exceeds any benefit and has a ridiculous per km travelled cost (especially in the winter). I expect this bare pavement mandate will be addressed by a heavy layer of salt in the bike lane and bikes choosing to ride in car lanes to slow down corrosion. They don't keep the pools open in winter just in case someone wants to go swimming, I don't think it is unreasonable for bike lanes to have no winter maintenance as their traffic volume does not support the expense (and by definition, there is an adjacent roadway that they are legally allowed to use).
Motion passed in hopes of creating safer Toronto bike lanes in winter
Cyclists have been documenting the unsafe conditions for years, and advocates argue that improved bike lane maintenance is necessary.toronto.citynews.ca
Has the city lost it's mind...
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
They do. It's a SIG/spending problem. They are happy to spend on tons of things. They haven't faced the piper yet on how to pay for all of their spending. The last I heard, their "balanced" budget as legally required had a few lines like "transfer payments from province and federal gov't >$1B." Umm, nobody has said they will get that money. I can't just add IOU's that clients have no knowledge of nor intention to pay to my corporate books to increase the amount I can spend but that seems to work for Toronto politicians. Hopefully one of these years, the higher powers will tell them to pound sand and actually deliver a balanced budget for once. As a start, property taxes are grossly below where they should be. Cutting hundreds of millions in funding used to appease SIG's would be another great avenue to a better more sustainable city.
EDIT:
Predicted tax increase of 10.5%. That's a start. They have a long way to go. I suspect that will get rolled back to 9.9 before getting passed so the politicians can claim it as a victory.
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Bike lanes get cleared before sidewalks. Aging pedestrians are allowed to fall and break bones. Can anyone name names as to who is pushing htis through?Which thread? Has Toronto Lost it's Mind? Special Interest Groups? Bicycle thread?
Toronto infrastructure committee voted to upgrade winter bike lane service from "safe and passable" to "bare pavement". At what point do they acknowledge that the price paid to install and maintain bike lanes vastly exceeds any benefit and has a ridiculous per km travelled cost (especially in the winter). I expect this bare pavement mandate will be addressed by a heavy layer of salt in the bike lane and bikes choosing to ride in car lanes to slow down corrosion. They don't keep the pools open in winter just in case someone wants to go swimming, I don't think it is unreasonable for bike lanes to have no winter maintenance as their traffic volume does not support the expense (and by definition, there is an adjacent roadway that they are legally allowed to use).
Motion passed in hopes of creating safer Toronto bike lanes in winter
Cyclists have been documenting the unsafe conditions for years, and advocates argue that improved bike lane maintenance is necessary.
There are a few advocates that speak in the video in the linked article. I'm not sure if theybare the ones wielding power or if they are just talking heads and the real push comes from a publicly silent but privately very loud group (eg someone like the biking lawyer raising a pattern of injuries and poor surface conditions and potential liability).
I don't live in Toronto, but I'm curious if the sidewalks get cleared before the streets? In Brampton, the sidewalks would get cleared the next day, maybe. I do understand the issue people are having, but I think they're just treating the bike lanes the same as the roads, which I think get cleared before roads.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I live in Markham, sidewalks are almost always cleared before streets. First they clear the arterial roads, then side feeder streets, last are cul-de-sacs and small crescent streets.
Paths and walkways between streets do not get cleared.
Expressways 2 hours
Major routes 6-8 hours
Side streets 14 hours
Bike lanes 8 hours
Sidewalks 12 hours.
Wouldn't the pattern of injuries also apply to motorcyclists? IMO it's worse on a M/C. If you have a mishap with a pushbike a 30 pound pile of tubing drops on you. With a motorcycle high side a 500 to 1000 pound machine flicks you down the road like a piece of snot.
I've ridden both in ice and snow and the pedal bike is less dangerous. What really scares me is an 85 year old pedestrian slipping and falling, ending up with a broken hip. Many won't go out if the walks aren't clear.
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And we have a winner. Especially in toronto, there are not that many days where sidewalks are treacherous. On those days, alter your plans (change time/day you go out or use alternate transportation like a taxi instead of walking). My grandma stopped driving in bad weather and in the dark long before she stopped entirely. It is not reasonable for government to install enough street lights in the country to make it safe for her to drive at night. My old subdivision had the municipality clear the sidewalks. Other than a few dog walkers, they weren't used much. Anyone trying to go anywhere would drive. Cutting sidewalk maintenance standards there would save a lot and many people would wave pitchforks but the reality is it would be a minimal change in anyones life. Obviously downtown toronto is a different dynamic and a different standard of care may be reasonable (for instance, maybe getting one sidewalk done on every street in 6 hours is a better standard than both sides done in 12 hours).
sburns
Well-known member
Toronto always had pretty good snow cleaning. It gets done at the same time. In the hood they even plow the end of the driveway when the main street plow blocks it with snow.
BTW I have no sidewalk where I live.
On that note, that seems like an easy sale for politicians. "We are increasing your property tax by 0.1% and adding windrow clearing". Done. The vast majority would buy into that. After the plow goes by, I clean the windrow from five neighbours. Either they are old and can't reasonably shovel it or they can't get a car through until it has been removed. If it freezes solid before you get it out of the way, it can be an hour of work to open one driveway.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I live on the outside corner of a small crescent, when the plow rounds the corner I get a huge windrow. Some plow drivers are considerate and clear it, but most don't.
I'm Markham Seniors and infirm can register with the town for free windrow clearing -- the problem is windrows are cleared 1-3 days after plowing.
I clear mine, then do my 3 octogenarian neighbors. I get rewarded with home baking.
I think you get fined here if you don't shovel the sidewalk. I thought Toronto was the same. Thankfully, I don't have any sidewalks.
Toronto does windrows the right way. Small arm on end of plow controlled by operator. When passing a driveway, it carries the snow and then dumps it on the far side. That makes a lot more sense than making the windroe and then moving it later.
I think the Toronto deal is akin to matching the city performance, 8-12 hours after a couple of inches. You don't have to chase down every snowflake. Ambiguous reference noted.
Our plows typically have the drop gate. Where we have a problem is overnight parking.
If someone parks near the end of our driveway the plow has to swerve away from the curb 20 or 30 feet before the car. It can't get back to the curb until 20 or 30 feet beyond where my driveway starts. When I clear my driveway I have to clear half the roadway as well.
I've told my neighbour that it's OK to park on one half of my driveway.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Your city tax dollars hard at work.
www.cp24.com
Sometimes I wonder how so many Boomers an Gen X survived without this kind of help from our elected leaders.
Toronto bans tobogganing at 45 'unsafe' hills in city
The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at 45 hills across the city, citing “unsafe” conditions at those locations.
www.cp24.com
Sometimes I wonder how so many Boomers an Gen X survived without this kind of help from our elected leaders.
Your city tax dollars hard at work.
Toronto bans tobogganing at 45 'unsafe' hills in city
The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at 45 hills across the city, citing “unsafe” conditions at those locations.
Sometimes I wonder how so many Boomers an Gen X survived without this kind of help from our elected leaders.
I suspect there were many injuries and I grew up in a house on the Niagara escarpment, our front yard hill had the same vertical drop as Glen Eden . But nobody called a lawyer . When we met friends and tobboganed at thier place , or met up at Kelso , which had a super steep hill by the dam, you didn’t sue and call a lawyer. There is the change . Our leaders are protecting us from each other .
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Blame boomer and Gen X lawyers / elected leaders.Your city tax dollars hard at work.
Toronto bans tobogganing at 45 'unsafe' hills in city
The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at 45 hills across the city, citing “unsafe” conditions at those locations.
Sometimes I wonder how so many Boomers an Gen X survived without this kind of help from our elected leaders.
Kids don't make these rules. I was given a participation trophy every year in hockey. It was boomers giving the trophies. Us kids all knew they were worthless.
