Scramble to be added at Yonge and Bloor?
We stole the picture from http://www.flickr.com/photos/55976115@N00/2838819908
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News Release
October 7, 2009
Yonge and Bloor will be Toronto’s second pedestrian priority intersection
One of Canada’s most famous intersections is about to get a new look.
The City of Toronto is adding a pedestrian priority phase to the intersection of Yonge Street and Bloor Street on October 9, providing pedestrians with the opportunity to cross in any direction including diagonally. The first pedestrian priority intersection (or “pedestrian scramble”) in Toronto was installed at Yonge Street and Dundas Street in 2008.
“Installing a pedestrian priority intersection at this new location reinforces Toronto’s commitment to creating a pedestrian friendly environment,” said Mayor David Miller. “Giving priority to pedestrians promotes pedestrian safety and convenience, and helps renew our urban environment.”
The pedestrian priority phase has been implemented in a number of other cities and has reduced conflict between pedestrians and vehicles by separating the flow of traffic and the movement of pedestrians.
Toronto’s Transportation Division will take the following steps to help ensure a smooth transition to the pedestrian priority phase at Yonge Street and Bloor Street:
* Adjust the timing of lights to allow pedestrians to safely clear the intersection.
* Enhance the Accessible Pedestrian Signals to assist the blind and visually impaired.
* Monitor the intersection to determine whether any adjustments need to be made.
More information about pedestrian initiatives is available at http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/walking.
As far as cycling infrastructure along that stretch, you know the one where the Ontario Government told the Toronto government that they were bad and basically pulled the rug out from democratic choice, well we can hold our breath on that one. Seems its ok to walk safely at Yonge and Bloor, but not all right to cycle safely.
Ontario Government says Toronto bad, make bike lanes clear
The province of Ontario released a report detailing facts that Toronto cyclists had been doing for years, criticizing the city over its lack of bike lanes.
In his annual report, Environment Commissioner Gord Miller said in his annual report that Toronto mishandled the question of Bike Lanes on Bloor Street. The report, entitled, Building Resilience said the city should have consulted with the public before finalizing plans for the stretch between Church and Avenue Road.
"It was classified as an 'A' which means there was very little opportunity for public consultation and discussion that some proponents of cycling wanted to see," Miller said after tabling his report in the provincial legislature on Tuesday.
Miller said the classification resulted in the loss of bikes lanes in the area of Bloor, between Church Street and Avenue Road. He said the province needs to do more to ensure bicycles are taken into consideration when municipalities seek provincial approval.
"There should be a mandatory requirement," said Miller "[that] in future in these kinds of projects that cycling and pedestrians — as legitimate forms of transportation — be included in the consideration and the alternatives in discussion and design."
Eventually the Bloor Street Transformation Project plan ended up in court. The city got what it wanted and cyclists ended up with 'sharrows' — a shared lane with traffic — instead of bicycle-only lanes.
Miller's recommendations are a small victory for Albert Koehl, the lawyer who represented cycling advocacy groups on the Bloor Street project, but comes to little to late.
"We have now the environmental commissioner pointing the finger at the province and saying you've got to do quite a bit more," he said.
Koehl says the report isn't going to change the situation overnight and unfortunately will not change things on that particular stretch of Bloor Street, but will be a weapon in the bigger battle towards having safe streets for cyclists and pedestrians.
Another form of Human Power
I know for the most part there seems to be an over abundance of bike news on this site but honestly we are interested in all forms of public transportation. It was why we jumped at the Chance to take a couple of canoes to toronto island and have a picnic. We met our paddling compatriots down at the canoe rental space on the Queens Quay. It wasn't actually on the street, but nestled in behind just by the police marine unit. Our team consisted of Sarah, Emma, Katie, Nikko, Linda and yours truely.
As with everything somewhat new, have never paddled in Lake Ontario, I was nervous to say the least. Like sugar plums dancing in my head, I couldn't get the image of me flailing around in the toilet known as Lake Ontario after a super tanker had tipped us in its wake. But I was willing to give it a try. I don't wear a helmet when I am riding a bike, but I was going to wear a life jacket.
We started the day by going to the canoe remtal we had to wait a few minutes to get the canoes happening but before lomg we were taming a ccouple practise runs up and down the slip and then we were out into the green brown yonder.
The crossing was kind of kike crossing a highway but with slower cars. There were all kinds of different sailboats, big boats , small boats fast boats, well i think you get the idea about what i'm going on about here I think. So, although I thought we were going to be capsized by every large wave that came our way, it was soon apparent that we were going to make shore.
We entered the canal system to the west of the Islands. All I have to say is that it was gorgeous. If you ever get a chance to paddle to the Island, this view is breathtaking. Of course there was the garbage floating in the water and the swans mooning us, but really it was quite spectacular.
We made our way through the maze, not really a maze cause there is only one way to go, but doesn't that sound more claustrophobic and spooky? Anyway we made our way to the other side of the island via the canals. It was nice to paddle over the site of the Ice Race we use to hold out here in the nineties and to see all the island from a complete different perspective.
The one thing that amazed me was the amount of people who were actually out on the Island with no ferries running. We finally came to shore by the small beach by Ward's Ferry dock. We were going to paddle around to the beach on the south side, but decided that we were weak and we had heard rumours of horrible salad dragons waiting hapless adventurers on the way there. So we flipped the canoes on one beach and walked across to the other beach.
The first thing we saw were army soldiers and a ninja, but soon found out that it was a film student doing his film. Quite elaborate. We lucked out and found the only shade on the entire beach and set up. The ladies decided to go swimming but me and Nikko declined. If I wanted to swim in a toilet, I had an almost perfectly functioning one at home.
Afterwards we hunkered down and ate a huge picinic lunch. We must have misunderstood how many people were coming to our picinic, or how long we were going to be out there because there was enough to feed the entire beach. We of course did not offer because who knows really how long we were going to be out there on account of salad dragons and the like.
It wasn't soon before everyone had to nap and I was left alone on the beach with a hundred other people. I kept myself busy by moving around the tree to get away from the sun, which evidently does move around the earth and not the other way around and by watching a huge mover of large things slowly make its way into Toronto harbour. I forget sometimes that Toronto is still a functioning port for goods.
Eventually we had to pack it up and make our way to the canoe rental place. We decided that we would retrace our route and we made it back with five minutes to spare. On our way back we encountered a lot more traffic and much larger waves. It was a race to get into the harbour because of the giant wave that was heading our way, but we made it. Take that oversized pleasure craft.
It was an awesome and the day was made better by the company that was kept. Special thanks to Sara who made the trip cheaper with her frequent paddler card.
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