The Transportation Master Plan will be before Council at General Committee next week for discussion… One of the recommendations is to see the implementation of a “road diet” on Yonge Street from south of Orchard Heights Boulevard/Batson Drive to Golf Links Drive/Dunning Avenue.
A “road diet” is seen to “enhance safety for all road users and create a pedestrian oriented environment.”
This would not only create a dedicated left turn lane at the Yonge and Wellington intersection… It would create a true bike lane through our downtown core..
This is an interesting concept that will definitely make for an interesting discussion at the Council table.
Here is a description of a “Road Diet Concept” as per the Transportation Master Plan…
“Road diet is generally referred to as a transportation improvement concept that reconfigures a four lane cross-section with two lanes per travel direction to three lane cross-section with single lane per travel direction plus a centre two-way left turn lane (TWLTL). This configuration provides storage for left-turn movements while additional space at the existing curbs may be utilized for either bike lanes, additional public realm / sidewalk width, or parking lay-bys depending on the existing pavement width, and the presence of side-streets and the need for the centre TWLTL.”
7 Responses
Awesome! Next step: install bike share stations enroute. There’s an ebike company based in Aurora. Source from them!!!
I would assume that there would no longer be street parking allowed on both sides of Yonge Street South of Wellington. There is no room already, never mind adding a bike lane?
I support the Road Diet concept 100%.
Nobody uses bike lanes. Just look along Bathurst. Yonge St is already congested enough without further reducing the lanes. And how will the buses traverse this area? Just remove all parking on Yonge St and set up bike lanes on less busy streets. Like all diets, it’s a bad idea
Interesting! I’m wondering if it could be piloted. And, yes, there would have to be NO Parking (NO Stopping, even!) for ANY vehicles (which, unfortunately, would also have to include those with disabled permits). All need to be considered.
This may add the bicycle lane, but this will kill the businesses at Yonge & wellington. I don’t think it is a good idea without having some plan for parking to access the businesses.
Some one has not thought it through. The down side is increased bottle neck at each end of the project and no parking on young street, however it may stop the dangerous habits of cyclist racing down the side walks .