sherbourne cycle track audit results · 2020. 4. 16. · for a typical warm weather cyclist, there...

Sherbourne Cycle Track Audit Results

Sponsors: Cycle Toronto Ward 27/28 Groups

Survey Date: January 5, 2013

http://cycleto.ca/

© 2010 IBM Corporation

The CT Sherbourne Cycle Track User Survey In January, 189 Cycle Toronto members responded to an online survey request to evaluate the

Sherbourne Cycle Track (north and south of Gerrard Street)

¾ cyclists felt “safe” or “very safe” on the raised cycle track (Gerrard North section). About the same (2/3 of responses) felt as safe on the two alternative separation methods (South design and Painted Line).

The raised curb design most increased the perception of feeling “very safe”, particularly those of the more typical “warm weather” cyclists.

Cyclists want more physical separation.

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Top Likes Lane provides better separation from cars. I feel safer. Visually distinct from the car lane. Discourages cars.

Top Dislikes Design does not stop cars from using it. If I have to pass a car, I feel trapped in, dangerous to exit into traffic. Too narrow to pass slower cyclists.

Top areas to improve More police enforcement. Widen the thickness of concrete barrier. Make the tracks higher, sharpen the angle to discourage cars. Add bollards in problem areas.

Top locations for specific improvement

Bloor Street (cars blocking lane) Moss Park Arena (parent drop-off) and SA shelter (pedestrians on it)

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Who answered: 71% of participants reported themselves to be active winter cyclists –who represent only 10% of cyclists*- but priorities were similar to warm-weather cyclists (see Appendix).

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71% cycle in winter (but most cyclists will not cycle in winter in Toronto). This segment accounts

for 10% of the total cycling population. *

* 2009 Cycle Study (by City of Toronto), 10% of cyclists ride through the winter (http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/reports/pdf/cycling_study_1999_and_2009.pdf);


Most cyclists appreciate the City’s efforts to build a cycle track, but said it can be made better.

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The number of cyclists who felt “very safe” is much higher than with just a painted lane (13%) or in mixed traffic (5%). The North (raised) design most improved this perception of safety (to 37%).

5

Existing cycling treatments (n=189) Sherbourne Cycle Track

67%23%

72%56%

37% feel “very safe”

(biggest change)

Only 13% feel “very safe”




For a typical warm weather cyclist, there was a jump in safety from riding in mixed traffic (with any design). The raised curb was safest. These cyclists felt no safer South of Gerrard as with a painted line.

66

“How Many Trips in Winter?” = Answer was “Never” or “Rarely” (n=53, out of189 total in full survey)

64%23%

75%66%

28% feel “very safe”Only 13% feel

“very safe”



No change in safety from a painted line

(66%).

Big increase compared to mixed traffic

(23%)


North of Gerrard, ¼ of cycle respondents felt the design provides a proper level of separation from cars.

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Top Answers cited by # of Respondents* (non-blank responses n=124) Other responses:

Cars are not able to park in this section. 4%I can exit (easily/without "jumping" a curb) to get around obstacles.

3%

Taxi stands and pull-ins work well. 2%

The gaps in curbs are big enough for me to get around obstacles.

2%

EMS can access lane. 2%

Separation from the sidewalk and pedestrians. 2%Bike boxes 2%

Curb discourages road snowplow from dumping snow in bike lane.

2%

Bus stop design. Buses do not block. 2%Encourages more people to try cycling. 2%Encourages a natural snow barrier in winter. 1%

Design allows for snow removal. 1%Quick snow removal. 1%

Gives taxis a place to double-park. Taxis don't have to block the traffic lane.

1%

They look nice. Aethetically pleasing. 1%Improves congestion and traffic flow. 1%Curb is level with the traffic. 1%* Allowed to provide multiple responses. 19 (20%) answered with the response “Nothing,”

“What do you like about the rolled design north of Gerrard?”


Top Answers cited by # of Respondents* (non-blank responses n=124)

* Allowed to provide multiple responses

Other responses:Swerves (at bus bays/Pheonix)- dangerous /slows me down 5%

Snow removal/not enough/Not able to be plowed/ 5%Signs - not enough. Not clear. Intersections - drivers don't know at right turn lane.

4%

Too much priority given to EMS in the strategy. 4%Lane accumulates: grit/garbage bins/ plow driveways into the lane.

2%

Gaps in curbs are not big enough to enter/ re-enter/ exit at 90 degree angle.

2%

Lane should go around the bus stop. 2%Sharp edges will damage my tires. 2%Aesthetics - Looks inconsistent. Ugly. 2%

Ice freezes on the lane from the plowed lane. 2%Confusing Right of way etiquette - drivers, at intersections turning right and left.

2%

Feels like a sidewalk. (Not enough distinction on surface.) 2%

Change of pavement at bus stops (elevation) 2%Fall off curbs. Too sharp for bike wheels. 2%Too few gaps to get back into the lane. 2%Drivers do not yeild to the lane. 2%Too much salt. (Corrodes my bike. Hard to ride on salt.) 2%

No bike traffic lights installed (visability for cars turning). 1%Not bi-directional. 1%Bumps before/after bus stops (surface treatment) 1%Gives a false sense of security 1%Too many large gaps. 1%Green paving markings confusing. 1%Add separate loading zones. 1%Buses in lane to idle/ re-set schedules/general non-urgent. 1%

Design traps slush and snow in the lane. Worse than the car lane would have been.

1%

Rolled curb design is not visible under snow - dangerous because drivers don't know it's a bike lane.

0%

“What do you dislike about the rolled design north of Gerrard?”

North of Gerrard, a majority (58%) felt the design does not stop cars from blocking the lane. If obstacles blocks the lane, they feel trapped.


South of Gerrard, a third felt the design provides proper separation from cars. Cyclists liked the visual separation the track provides.

I can exit the lane easily to pass cars 4%Buses don't block the lane when they stop. 3%Wide - I can pass cyclists. 1%

Taxi stands and pull-ins for cars work well. 1%Design allows for snow removal. 1%

Quick snow removal. 1%Gives taxis a place to double-park. Taxis don't have to block the traffic lane.

1%

Faster 1%

Feels like a pedestrian lane (positive). 1%Cars are not able to park in this section. 1%Curb discourages road snowplow from dumping snow in bike lane.

0%

Encourages a natural snow barrier in winter. 0%


* Allowed to provide multiple responses. 20 answered with the response “Nothing,”

Other responses:

“What do you like about the design south of Gerrard?”


South of Gerrard, half of cyclists felt the design made it too easy for cars to block it. Another third said pedestrians are standing on it, either aware or unaware that it was a cycle track.

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Other responses:

Police disregard them. 3%Confusing right of way (cars at intersections turning right).

3%

Bike boxes. 3%Snow plowed onto lane by owners 2%

Moss park loading area blocked with cars. 2%Lack of bollards 2%

Shared bus loading zone 2%Swerves at bus bays. 2%

City snow clearing is poorer here 1%

Construction too long/expensive/not worth the it. 1%Lack of security signs wrt homeless pedestrians near Moss Park shelter

1%

Makes cyclists less defensive (illusion of safety). 1%

E-bikes are being allowed. 1%Lack of connection to a bike network. 1%

EMS priority means all cars get to block the lane. 1%

Not enough loading zones. 1%Previous bus shelters were not replaced. 1%Ugly 1%

“What do you dislike about the design south of Gerrard?”

Moss Park and bus stops frequently cited.


Police enforcement is the top priority. Cyclists want more separation (wide, high and sharp curbs, more bollards) to discourage vehicle use and improve safety.

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Other responses:

Signs - consistent left turn protocol 4%

Public education campaign, discussions with clubs/ taxi and delivery companies.

4%

Extend rolled curbs to S of Gerrard 3%Police and City-staff parking during non-emerg - better role modeling for others

2%

Higher fines 2%Bus Stops - Bike Lanes by-pass 2%Better connections to other paths 2%

More Separation - reduce number/size of gaps 2%Remove advertising boards (hide cyclists, e.g. At Gerrard) 2%

Paint a center line in the lane to encourage slower bikes to the right 2%

Bike traffic lights 2%Bylaws - Exclude motorized eBikes/ Scooters 2%Bike boxes or not - use a consistent left turn protocol 2%

Remove rolled curbs N of Gerrard 2%Change to Bi-directional 2%

Policing/ticketing - people shoveling snow into lane 1%

Bus stops - more lighting 1%Bus stops - remove bumps 1%Salting changes 1%Signs/ By-laws - Bikes allowed right on red at Gerrard (signed) 1%

Sewer grate redesign (wheel width) 1%

More landscaping 1%Bike Lane open only in warm months. 1%Roundabouts at key intersections 1%Idling buses and wheeltrans (schedule resetting in lane?) 0%

Put cycle track at right of a parked cars lane. 0%Change so cars not yeilding to bikes at intersections 0%

“What would improve the Sherbourne Cycle Track?”


General recommendations to improve the entire stretch of the track: Add more visual signals (more signs and bollards). Remove the risk of “right hooks” (at the car/cycle right-turn intersecting point)

Send more visual signals to discourage parking in the bike lanes– add tow away signage along the entirety of the bike lane– add bollards along the entire stretch of Sherbourne Street to discourage cars from

stopping or parking in the lanes

Address the issue of right hooks in the separated lanes– the barrier comes down before the stop line at the intersection allowing right turning cars

to block the lane / hit a cyclist– General Recommendation: pull the stop line back, or push the barriers out to the stop

line, so right turning cars can properly cue for oncoming cyclists

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Specific location improvements can be made at Bloor Street, Moss Park, and the Gerrard Street (bus stop).

Fix these top problem locations:

– Bloor St intersection (add bollards at the start/end point to discourage parking, increase enforcement (consider a “red-light” type parking camera), consider adding a short-term drop-off area near the subway entrance)

– Moss Park and Salvation Army area• Improve security (cyclist safety) • Design for parent drop-off (consider a U-turn drop-off driveway)• Control the pedestrian flow near the shelter (increase lane visibility and security with

clear signs and pavement markings (colour), and provide a physical curb separation from pedestrians)

– Gerrard Street bus stop• Remove the full-size advertising board that blocks the visibility of oncoming cyclists

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The city has maintained that Sherbourne had to be low to accommodate EMS, yet…

The City: “Sherbourne had to be low to accommodate EMS”

– Yet, many other Canadian cities, such as Vancouver and Montreal, have built separated bike lanes with higher barriers –how have they accomplished this?

– Why does EMS need to park in the lanes? Why can't they simply stay on the road? – Large snow-filled mounds are on the street right now; presumably they're not mountable

by EMS, yet they're permitted and they've created excellent separation.

The lack of separation has shifted the injury risk directly onto cyclists – it places cyclists at high risk when it forces cyclists to leave the lane and re-enter traffic to get around cars –why was this trade-off made?

The lack of real, tangible separation stops “the cautious cyclist” –the next wave of cyclists–from adopting it, because they just don’t feel safe enough.

We need more significant separation going forward.

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Appendix: Non-winter cyclist responses (continued)“How Many Trips in Winter?” = Answer was “Never” or “Rarely” (n=53, out of189 total in full survey)

Provides very good separation from cars. 32%I feel safer. 21%They exist at all. Better than nothing. Slightly more separated (than nothing or just a painted line).

21%

Does not stop cars. 50%Feel trapped (cannot get around parked cars.) 50%Feel trapped /not wide enough within lane (to pass cyclists) 25%Confusing Right of way etiquette (pedestrians don't know, at TTC/ where to stop). 19%Snow removal/not enough/Not able to be plowed/ 13%Does not feel safe. Not enough separation. (Not high/wide/sharpened/enough bollards).

6%

Does not stop pedestrians. (no curb/markings) 6%

Provides good separation from cars (physical barrier; height and/or width difference).

27%

Visually delineates cyclists from cars (height). Raises cyclist profile on the street. Visually discourage cars.

12%

The gaps are big enough. 12%I feel safer. 12%They exist at all. Better than nothing. Slightly more separated (than nothing or just a painted line).

8%

Buses don't block the lane when they stop. 8%

Too easy for cars to park on it, taxis to do u-turns over it. 48%

Still feels unsafe. Not enough physical separation. 38%

People stand in it/ Confusing right of way (at bus stops)/ not separated from pedestrian flow.

19%

Not visually distinct from the road or the sidewalk. 14%More signage/ 10%No room for passing (cyclists). 10%Harder to leave lane over raised curb to get around cars/ others.

10%

“What do you like about the design North of Gerrard?”

“What do you dislike about the design North of Gerrard?”

“What do you like about the design South of Gerrard?”

“What do you dislike about the design South of Gerrard?”

“What would improve the Sherbourne Cycle Track?

More Separation - Thicker Curb width 24%More Separation - Higher or sharper curb 24%More Separation - More Bollards in problem areas (Moss Park/ at right-turn intersections)

21%

Policing/ ticketing/ walking the beat/install cameras - stop cars from using it 18%Signs - Yeild protocol ("pedestrians must yeild to cyclists" at bus stops/ "Slower bikes keep to right side"/"Cars yield to bikes on Right Turn", "T-intersection")

15%

More Paint - Brighter coloured paint. Coloured asphalt. 6%Widen it (to pass slower/trailers). 6%Extend rolled curbs to S of Gerrard 6%Remove advertising boards (hide cyclists, e.g. At Gerrard) 6%

North of Gerrard

South of Gerrard

sherbourne cycle track audit results · 2020. 4. 16. · for a typical warm weather cyclist, there...

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