Stop Physical Separations for Bike Lanes In Etobicoke along Rathburn & Martingrove Roads

March 24, 2021 Update

Staff have now posted their Consultation Summary on the project website and have confirmed that the recommended improvements will be presented to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee of City Council in May 2021 for consideration.

The consultations summary can be found here under "News and Updates":

https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/infrastructure-projects/watermain-replacement-on-martin-grove-road-proposed-road-safety-improvements-on-rathburn-road-and-martin-grove-road/road-safety-improvements-on-rathburn-road-martin-grove-road/

The more detailed staff report, that will contain costing and other information, is not yet out to review in respect of the May 2021 meeting.

I intend to contact the City Clerk in advance with a petition of signatures against any form of improvement.  We are up to 41.  I kindly ask you forward this petition on to others so we can get more signatures to stop this !!!

Councilor Holyday's office has been very responsive on these matters, and very helpful.

I have conducted best efforts to block this on the basis of increased safety risk to front line workers, as well as inconveniences posed to the leaf collection program in the area.  I am still analyzing and addressing these fronts, and staff have been responsive to inquiries.  Unfortunately, staff are following a City Council wide directive/strategy to aggressively proceed with bike lanes, irrespective of current utilization (it is an ideological and not pragmatic strategic direction).

If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns in respect of this matter, please reach out to me at 416 938 2666 or e-mail me at jasonfgorel@gmail.com.

Jason Gorel

Bike Petition Update

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Key Updates:

1) We’re up to 41 signatures.  Please forward to friends in Etobicoke to stop the seedling of concrete barriers for bike lanes coming to our beautiful home and please sign if you have not:   https://www.petitions.net/signatures.php?tunnus=stop_physical_separations_for_bike_lanes_in_etobicoke_along_rathburn__martingrove_roads&page_number=4&num_rows=10  

2) We’ve been in continuous interaction with City Staff on the following key points which will be the basis of arguments I will fight to present at City Committee and City Council:  

a) There are only 50 bikes per day on Rathburn, as compared to 12,000 cars – why are we talking about this ?  The political left at City Hall, which stacks the bureaucracy (I can tell you this having worked in that environment) sees 1 vulnerable bike rider as sufficient grounds to inconvenience 12, 000 cars.  This is how they think.  Yes, really …. This is how they think.  God help us all.

b) I have questioned the incremental cost, as well as safety concerns, with the concept of putting up the barriers for the bike lanes in conjunction with the leaf collection program I confirmed with front line staff directly that there will be significant losses in efficiency to the leaf collection program/significant costs/material modifications to capital equipment to adjust In the case of Rathburn, the hose will have to go higher and the length of hose coming out of the trucks increased by an estimate of 10 feet (to be confirmed)

c) Aside from the incremental costs to the leaf collection program, we know there will also be incremental costs due to the capital construction, ongoing maintenance of the barriers itself, risks of graffiti, double the snow plow cost;

d) Evidence seems to exist that the barriers increase the number of vehicle accidents – this has been noted for the installation for Scarlett Road;

e) Councilor Thompson had bike lanes disappear in Scarborough on Brimley – why can’t we do this in Etobicoke.  I would get rid of them all if we could to save on costs/not worth the utility;

f) Etobicoke is a car community and not a bike community, as noted in a., and these changes will necessarily cause disruptions to the natural flow of traffic; I

g) t’s ugly, we don’t want it !!!  We have a right to have preferences for our community.  

3) We have been in interaction with Councilor Holyday and his office staff, all of whom have been great.  He and his staff have been very attentive, and responsive to the concerns being raised, for which I am appreciative of their time and dedication to listening to our arguments.

Jason Gorel

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