7.0

Build a network of CO2 Free routes through Downtown Toronto

“For far too long we have ignored our greenest commuters – the future demands CO2 free roads”

This should not be on Jarvis or University Avenue, but rather on secondary roads with routes elevated on curbs and generously provided for two way traffic. For some reason, when our traffic engineers think of bicycles, they think that they must travel alongside the cars. This is not true. We can leave the major avenues to cars (although had we buried the streetcars on Spadina, we would have had a great opportunity for bike lanes there). Generally speaking, we can assume that many of the grand avenues do not really have space for bikes. In addition, cars tend to go faster than the speed limits on major avenues, and this can be dangerous to the bikers. What we can do, is dedicate bikes lanes on secondary streets. We can do this mostly on the sunny sides of the streets, meandering with neighborhood cafes, etc. This lane is meant for bikes, roller blades, Segways, and other forms of CO2 Free transportation yet to be invented.

One of the funniest scenes that I see in Toronto is a bike user in the left turning lanes of a road, sitting on his bike, with his arm pointing up and left. This scene will not be seen in any other place. Why are two vehicles with completely different make up and speeds using the same lane? You never see a pedestrian doing the same?!! Riders of Bicycles, roller bladers, and all other CO2 Free users take their lives in their hand every day and travel through our streets. They deserve a better transit route than car users as they do not generate any pollutant. What will happen to car travel on these secondary streets is that two lanes of traffic in addition to the one lane of parking can turn into a three lane/two way system that will give a two to one priority to the direction of traffic during rush hours. In the morning hours, two lanes will go in one direction and one lane in the other. Mid day, one lane will be provided for each way plus one lane will be used for parking. In the afternoon rush, the traffic will reverse from that of the morning.