The single most important…

The single most important thing to do is build infrastructure for cycling - and active transportation more generally - to make our streets safer for everyone. Contrast the painted lines on College St, which provide no physical separation from cars and are not maintained in the winter, with the Queen's Quay lanes or even the Richmond/Adelaide or Bloor Cycle Tracks: the Queen's Quay lanes are the gold standard, since they are physically separated from automobile traffic, with enough space for all users: pedestrians, cyclists, streetcars and automobiles all have their own space, and their own traffic signals, allowing users to access the waterfront and travel across the city year-round. Crucially, they also require little enforcement.

The cycle-tracks on Richmond, Adelaide, and Bloor are the next-best thing: bollards provide some separation from traffic, although they are frequently knocked down by motor vehicles. Mere painted lines, like those on College St, are the lowest form of "infrastructure" (if they can be counted as such) because they require enforcement which is rarely present or effective.

If you design and build smart streets for people, rather than cars, you can build infrastructure that makes active transportation safe and convenient. Therefore, a strong commitment to building new cycling infrastructure across the province is the most important component of any Cycling Action Plan.

[Original Comment ID: 212445]