Tragedy on Avenue Road not an Anomaly
Last Wednesday, Miguel Joshua Escanan’s young life was taken while riding his bike on Avenue Road, metres beyond the end of ActiveTO bike lanes (and where a speedway begins).
Danforth Complete Streets Study Drop-in
Hundreds of local residents and businesses came by showing an appetite to discuss the future of Danforth related to density, business development, and transportation.
Danforth Complete Streets Study Drop-in
The second Danforth Study public event built upon information provided in the first public meeting that included a presentation and a short Q&A. This follow-up event was a free-form drop-in that allowed attendees to circulate and explore. Hundreds of local residents and businesses came by showing an appetite to discuss the future of Danforth related to density, business development, and transportation.
City Staff were present to answer questions and provide insight on the dozens of vivid information panels summarising the initial phase of the study with quotes, maps, and charts. The panels gave a detailed summary of the first public meeting and the public feedback received there. They also offered space for attendees to add more feedback.
| A display board with a title 'What we Heard' shows some feedback from the first community meeting. | A display board with a title 'Study Terms of Reference' shows the three components of the Danforth Study: 1) A planning study, 2) a complete street study, and 3) an economic analysis. |
When it came to the “Complete Street” portion almost every comment was related to installing bicycle infrastructure and most were supportive. Themes the City highlighted from the first meeting included “Interest in expanding the existing cycling network,” “Should be designed for all users, including people who walk, cycle, use transit or drive,” and “Using pop-ups, temporary improvements, and a bike lane pilot project as part of the study process.”
The City’s subsequent Study Terms of Reference clearly took this under advisement and the panel clearly laid out that bike lanes are being considered: “A complete street study: to examine... and review options for a complete street design, and the potential for on-street protected bike lanes between Broadview and Victoria Park.” The study’s next steps include a transportation analysis by Q2 2020 and complete street design options and consideration for a pilot project completed by Q3 2020.
| A display board shows a map with push pins indicating where consultation participants live |
Multi-coloured sticky notes show comments left on a large map of Danforth Ave.
In the middle of the room were two large print-out maps of the entire stretch of the Danforth from Victoria Park to Boardview, and attendees were encouraged to use sticky notes to offer feedback and specific suggestions. We saw additional support and a considerable number of comments about building bike lanes on Danforth and making the area is safe and friendly to all road users. Cycle Toronto is looking forward to working with the City to ensure this enthusiasm turns into action and the pilot bike lane project becomes a reality in 2020!
If you didn’t have a chance to make it to the meeting, there is still an opportunity to provide feedback. The City has posted on online version of the map with digital “sticky notes” for you to let them know what you like, dislike, and want to see in the future on the Danforth. Share your personal reasons why you want to see bike lanes on Danforth as we get closer to connecting people who ride bikes from Scarborough to Etobicoke.
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