The Toronto Star has picked up on the news that the city is planning a bunch of pedestrian and cyclist-friendly initiatives:

Pedestrian "scramble" intersections, where vehicle traffic is stopped in all directions, allowing pedestrians to cross diagonally or straight. The report suggests trying it out on Bloor St., and the Bay St. and Yonge St. intersections.

Re-setting stoplights to increase the time given for pedestrians to cross.

Abolishing the flashing "Don't walk" signals for pedestrians and replacing them with a flashing "Walk" when time is running down.

A bikeway through the downtown core (already in the city's bike plan), perhaps along the Richmond-Adelaide corridor, or the Wellington-Front corridor.

This should be made a "priority," the report says, with a consultant to be hired next year to study the route, and the route itself established by 2009. A Bloor-Danforth bikeway corridor should also be considered, says Butts.

A bike station, with secure bike parking, repairs, rental and showers, at Union Station. (A bike station is part of the redesign planned for Nathan Phillips Square.)

The Works Committee discusses this on Wed, Oct. 3rd. As I did previously, I encourage you to contact the Public Secretariat and all the members of the Works Committee and let them know you want them to make Toronto more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

Councillors on the Works Committee

Glenn De Baeremaeker, Chair
Shelley Carroll
Adam Giambrone
Mark Grimes
Chin Lee
John Parker

Use this handy email link to email all of them at once :)

[photo credit: lost effekt]

Labels: news

blog comments powered by Disqus