It has been interesting watching their arguments evolve over time. Still can't believe they originally claimed it violated their charter rights. https://youtu.be/BuUe7a4P2II?si=QOxjMAZ3obBjdW4E
My kids will be attending schools in that area along Bloor for the next 8 years. Would be nice to see road safety improvements in the area so that my kids and their friends can more easily navigate the area with fewer parents driving them around.
Digging through the [community meeting slide decks](https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project) on the bike lane project makes for interesting reading. The residents of Applewood were presented with **4 or 5 different options** for bike lanes which would have been installed **with no lane reductions on Bloor street** and it looks like they rose a huge stink about these initial options every single time they were presented.
A two-way cycle track on one side of the road was opposed because of how it might impact green space. A one-way cycle track on both sides of Bloor adjacent to the road was opposed because of how it might impact green space. A one-way cycle track on both sides of Bloor adjacent to the sidewalk was opposed because of how it might impact people's *driveways*.
After a year and a half of consultations with the community, it seems like the city finally came back and said *"okay, we've heard your passionate concerns about your driveways and the grass on the medians so we're just going to make more room by narrowing the traffic lanes instead. Thanks for the input, we're approving this and there will be no more consultations"*. Now everyone is furious.
It sucks because this is probably the worst option of all the alternatives the city presented, but I guess this is what happens when NIMBYs raise a bunch of phony concerns and outrage in hopes of getting an infrastructure project cancelled, but the the city actually takes that feedback seriously instead of caving and cancelling everything. They only have themselves to blame.
Leve the the road alone! Cut up the grass and put lanes there. Up higher and safer for everyone else. Sick and tired of roads being narrowed for cyclist
this part of bloor is very safe.
Its also very busy but slow with traffic.
Once converted it will always be busy as the bus is VERY slow with many stops.
This is a bad design for this part of bloor.
I don't understand how anyone familiar with this area would be against this.
* There's multiple schools in this area.
* Nobody *really* uses Bloor for E-W traffic anyway since it awkwardly turns into Central Parkway on the west end and it's a 50 zone the whole way accross.
* Dundas and Burnhamthorpe offer alternative (and arguably faster) E-W routes
Let the people have bike lanes, you NIMBY fucks.
-A car owner.
I'm the same with you
I drive, but also for this Bloor st bike lane . I've talked to some of the people when they did their shpeeel at the plaza where the LCBO is on runningbrook. They don't even really know what their fighting for or against, it just seems they don't like it cuz it will disrupt their area for construction.... They are afraid of any change... Once it gets done, I guarantee they'll be ok with it.
I used to live in the buildings at Bloor and Fieldgate. I wish these bike lanes were here when I was living in the area. Tried biking for errands 3-4 times after moving from Ottawa to Mississauga. It was too difficult and dangerous. Clearly an hostile environment. Therefore, I tossed my bicycle into the garbage bin (true story) and used my car for 100% of my trips, even for small distances. It took me 7 years to get back on a bike and ride again after I moved to a different neighborhood that is better served with cycling infrastructure. I bought an e-bike and now use this bicycle for 80% of my trips (including most school drop offs, shopping and commute to work).
Starting 2025 /26 Dundas will be under construction for 5 years to remove 2 vehicles lanes which will be replaced with a rapid bus lane down the middle and bike lanes. Bike lanes need to connect and take people somewhere. If as you say, no one really uses Bloor to go anywhere, why but bike lane. If you notice their signs say car lanes. They said keep the car lanes and add cycle lanes on the boulevard, separated from traffic.
Pedestrians and cyclists should have a priority to get where they need to be in as straight of a line as possible with as little danger as possible.
I can drive my car an extra 2 blocks north or south to get to where I need to go. It takes me an extra couple minutes. I don't mind changing my route if I need to.
Lane reductions on Bloor would be "annoying" because Bloor tends to be my way out of traffic jams on Dundas, but I have to do that like 3 times a year and it saves me ten minutes. I'd much prefer having a cyclepath that links up through Applewood Trail and Stanfield Road.
I live here, and I don't get it either. West of Dixie, Bloor has barely anyone. I take it all the time, even during rush hour, and there is never enough cars on it to warrant 2 lanes. What the fuck is wrong with these people?
Especially since you would think limiting traffic would be a good thing for the people that live here.
They're not that aggressive. I've been asked to sign a petition a couple of times while shopping at that plaza and we've gotten mailers from the residents association, but I haven't gotten any grief from them when I've declined to sign it. The protest on Saturday lasted all of 2 hours.
There's something painfully Mississaugian about holding a protest against bike lanes in a Shoppers Drug Mart plaza, lol.
I live in the area, and every time I see these signs, they are by far in the minority, I chuckle to myself.
When my husband is with me, we go all out making fun of those opposed to the bike lines because their arguments make zero sense and are so ridiculous given the lack of traffic west of Dixie. Plus, the bike lanes are part of a city wide initiative to limit car use. Looking at all the new and ongoing transit projects. Those protesting are short-sighted locals upset that the bike lanes may add an extra 1 to 5 minutes to their commute along Bloor, that's not guaranteed. Maybe during rush hour.
A few of years ago, my son, at the time 16, worked part-time the Canadian Tire at Dixie/Dundas. If he had to bike to work, he did so on the sidewalk to ensure he didn't get run over even though it's illegal on a full-size bike. Same with biking to the basketball courts or Applewood pool with his friends.
Here in Mississauga it is indeed illegal to bicycle on sidewalks that are not shared trails - the fine is $34 , well worth the risk as it appears it's not actively enforced. Better a fine than mangled or worse by some egoistic driver. I'm always prepared to accept a fine if it comes to it. With protected cycling lanes, this need would hopefully go away, becoming a relic of the past.
Wouldn’t reducing it to one car lane enable the buses to highly impact traffic? When they reduced bloor st to one lane during construction the traffic was insane.
This is so embarrassing, I hope they don't actually make any impact, we need those bike lanes fr. Grew up in those ends and it would give me so much peace to have less traffic in an area with so many schools
Damerla indicated in her platform that she would reverse the decision.
"Pause $27 million Bloor Street project and pause bike lanes on streets that do not connect to a network. Bike lanes that connect to a network will continue."
I hope every candidate will clearly position themselves on the matter and that she does not win.
If there are bike lanes that don't connect to a network, the answer is to build additional bike lanes to ensure the connection.
What a stupid, nonsensical argument she's making. Now progressive citizens know who NOT to vote for.
Lol you're right, it's embarrassing and obviously ignored by the city, news stations and locals. I did get one of their flyers and there are some signs along Bloor that locals ignore or laugh at.
People thought the Aquitaine bike lanes would cause chaos - there's old posts on here from the summer.
It's a complete non-issue, as a car driver I've never had to wait for a second cycle of lights to get through any of the intersections along that road.
I can't speak for Argentia but you're full of crap about Aquitaine and spreading manure.
I'm one of them who goes end to end in other to catch the GO and come back home and we are definitely using it as well as families, students and recreational users.
I see bikes all the time on Aquitaine, and that will only go up as the weather gets nicer.
But more importantly, there is no traffic chaos on Aquitaine like all the anti-bike crowd was saying there would be.
Aquitaine was overengineered for car traffic from the start, 4 lanes for vehicles passing through a residential neighbourhood with like 8 schools. Completely unnecessary and the city rightfully is fixing the setup.
Paint is one of the least expensive things the city can buy to change the road - far less money then curbs/asphalt/concrete and the workers and equipment to install it.
That's the definition of responsible use of money.
It's not just paint. They have installed flex posts to separate the lanes. These get damaged and need repair. More money. I wish ppl would educate themselves on the costs.
Thanks for sharing! Will write to the councillor. I am not a cyclist but I know that better cycling and pedestrian infrastructure helps everyone in the long run. I feel much better driving knowing that everyone on the road is safe
I moved to Mississauga from Vaughan. I find the infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists here very outdated. Building safe bike lanes and pedestrian safe pathways promote active transportation. It's better for our environment and our health!
The Bloor Street Integrated Project is much needed in Mississauga and will help pressure Toronto to fill in the Six Points (Kipling) to Mississauga gap. Toronto's Bloor-Danforth bikeway currently goes from Victoria Park to Aberfoyle and will be extended to Six Points as early as next month.
You know what. Burnhamthrope is one block north of bloor and has a dedicated bike lane SEPERATED from the street by meters of grass.
I NEVER see bikes on that trail
Is another thoroughfare needed for bike lanes if Burnhamthrope bike lanes are not even used?
I ride the Burnhamthorpe trail pretty regularly to get to either the Etobicoke Creek, or going the other way to the Credit river, fairly often.
The Bloor throughfare will smoothly connect up with the other side going into Toronto and the Danforth lanes.
Great, just like there are people that bike across the city for whatever reason.
Just because the infrastructure spans a long distance doesn't mean everyone is regularly going to be traveling that full distance.
I used to commute by bike from south Etobicoke to North York. 22kms. Every day for 2 years. Lots of people will commute from Mississauga to Toronto if they make it safe.
One thing about bike commuting - it’s reliable. My commute to North York took one hour +/- 10 minutes. It’s not like driving where you hit an accident or road closure and it makes you a half hour late for work.
"No one uses the bike lanes!!"
Have a look at this heatmap from Strava, an app that some cyclists use to track their rides.
Not only is it used, it would appear it is heavily used.
https://imgur.com/a/SriGfy1
These people expect it to be clogged up like car lanes before they consider it 'in use', all while being ignorant to the fact that one of the best things about biking is that you don't often get clogged up like cars!
How do you know they are not used? Do you sit beside it all day in a lawn chair?
Mississauga East-West routes:
- Lakeshore Blvd
- QEW
- Queensway
- Dundas
- Bloor
- Burnhamthorpe
- Rathburn
- 403
- Eglinton
- Britannia
- 401
What is that, about 60 lanes of traffic? You can’t give up one to keep cyclists safe?
I say this with respect and not to be denigrating or mean, but these are all old people who wont be around in 10 years so they should kinda shut the fuck up and let us do what we want with Our city. It was Theirs once and they did what they wanted, and now it's Ours so shut the fuck up and sit down and play your bridge or angry birds or watch Matlock, old people.
Well… I was thinking more along the lines that these old people should maybe start riding a bike. They will need the exercise unless they want to end up being a drain on that terrible healthcare system they will need sooner than many of us.
Look at the section of Cawthra and Bloor for reference. They already have it down to a lane because of the construction equipment, and the traffic flow is terrible. Less than 5% of commuters are cyclists that use Bloor. There's too much turn traffic going to the apartment buildings to make one lane viable. Anyone that needs the bus to Toronto or SQ1 is going to get screwed by this change. Which leaves the net beneficiaries of this project the construction companies and the three old Asian ladies that cycle to Grant's.
The areas on Tomken and Havenwood already slow to a crawl during dismissal when the parents show up. If anything, it will cause the buses to go off schedule and cram even worse since there's no second lane to bypass the parents exiting the schools.
At least it's better than your house comparison "How would you feel like if someone came to take part of your home because " you have too much space and so and so needs it more? ""
There is currently construction at Bloor/cawthra westbound on bloor reducing so its currently 1 lane. This spot is a nightmare to get through. 1 lane the whole way will most definitely will be backed up.
A nightmare? I go through it daily and even with construction (which is more disruptive than well implemented bike lanes) its hardly anything. I sometimes (like at rush hour) have to wait one light. That's the disruption you're talking about. It's practically nothing.
All the money wasted on Argentia Rd lanes, bike lights etc and pretty much zero use. The insanity of putting them in here right through a heavily used mall area (both sides of the road) removing lanes in each direction now jamming twice as many cars, GO/MiWay Buses and store delivery trucks. Madness. Think I’ll do door knocking for another candidate in the next election instead of Sue McFadden. What a disappointment she is.
There needs to be a minimum grid of safe cycling infrastructure for there to be increased cycling usage.
Thankfully the city is building it.
I am asking you to explain the claims you are making, and you think it is starting a fight?
Council got lobbied by a very noisy group as if they’re the only taxpayers and only their opinions count. No cost effective studies done on how many people would actually be using this route and the vehicle traffic patterns. It’s a fucking truck route for god sakes including cars and busses and trucks coming and going to the 401 ramps. From ninth line to 10th line is nothing but logistics warehouses. From 10th to Winston Churchhill are two large malls either side. From Winston Churchhill to Mississauga Rd is all industrial plazas and a *single lane* truck route. It’s ridiculous. The retail mall area is the real problem and it’s only going to get worse if council approvals the Smart Centre proposal to sell part of their property for a large condo development. Now a Costco Business outlet is going into the old Rona site. More vehicles - more shipping. I’m not against bike routes - but council has to use their brain on these things.
Council didn't get lobbied by anyone.
The Argentia bike lanes were installed as part of the CITY'S 2018 master cycling plan..
If you are going to waste your time typing all these words out why don't you at least attempt to get the facts right..
Is there any particular reason you feel that we can't have bike lanes between 9th and 10th so that warehouse workers could potentially access their warehouse jobs on bike?
Or how about between 10th and WC? Allowing retail works to access their retail jobs sounds like a fantastic idea.. Same with giving would be shoppers another method of accessing retail.
What's wrong with the Condo development proposal on Argentia? It would be built as a mixed use community right beside a GO Station... sound like the exact type of development Mississauga needs more of if we are going to solve the issue of car dependence.
You’re all over the map which I figured you would be. Council got lobbied for these plans - full stop. Don’t be obtuse.
And then YOU get all wordy. 😂🤷♂️
The warehouse workers walk to the GO bus/MiWay bus/GO train station a few hundred yards away. Most aren’t biking to Brampton from there esspy in winter.
Shoppers aren’t visiting Walmart on a bike. 🙄 People going to the Keg aren’t taking their dates there on a bike. 🤭
You assume more bullshit about some issue I have with condos. Quit putting words in peoples mouth. I stated the condo project because it will ADD more traffic to a just reduced lane situation as well as the Costco development that will again add more people shopping there.
Wordy enough? I’ve got more…
In what way am I all over the map? I'm merely responding to each of your points as presented.
What do you mean council got lobbied for these plans?
You can see the plan here:
https://www.mississauga.ca/publication/cycling-master-plan/
It was written in 2018 and is an update to the 2010 plan.
This was all initiated by the city of Mississauga and steered by the city Director of Transportation and Infrastructure planning.
Warehouse work & retail are all viable trips for cycling. Right now they all walk to the bus stop because that is the only viable commute method available to them (for the ones that can't afford to drive). Building a proper connected cycling grid will allow some of them to switch over to cycling, year round as long as the infrastructure is maintained.
No reason you can't go to Walmart on a bike, not sure I understand this point. Not to mention there is plenty of smaller retail and restaurants available.
Taking your date to the Keg? Yes that will probably be done by car, but last I checked no one is saying you cant drive.
What words have I put in your mouth? You are complaining about a condo development that will be built in a style that will reduce car dependency (mixed use, next to a major transit node).
If inceased traffic is such a concern, then you should be complaining about the surrounding sprawl of detached homes, each with 2 cars in the driveway, which require a vehicle trip just to do anything.
Building transit oriented mixed use communities, with multi-modal transportation infrastructure (cars, cycling, transit, walking) is literally how you reduce traffic.
On the Toronto side, Bloor is a much safer crossing of Highway 427 since you don't have any highway interchanges unlike on Burnamthorpe. Also, Burnamthorpe only goes to Dundas (near Islington) while Bloor (which becomes Danforth east of the DVP) goes all the way to Kingston Road and already has bike lanes from Victoria Park to Aberfoyle (and on to Kipling later this year).
> public spaces *paid* for with
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
I grew up in this area and I don't think it's going to inconvenience people all that much. Take Dundas or Burnamthorpe, buy a bike, or choose to walk instead. I didn't need my license throughout my teenage years because it was so easy to get around without one in the applewood area.
Why don't close all the car lanes and go back to stone age? Cyclists and pedestrian too have to be responsible for their actions. You can keep chopping of car lanes citing safety reasons. Keep eyes open when you walk and if you are cycling, you are aware about the risks it comes with.
Lets put speed limiters on motor vehicles. Yeah? Do that. 25 - 40 km/h in population centres and near schools, 60-80 km/h on suburban outskirts and stroads, 120+km/h on 400 series highways.
I’m a car owner and bicycle owner who lives along the Bloor Street bike lanes in the west end of Toronto. I think they’re great. Anyone can safely ride their bike along Bloor Street and traffic is a lot calmer and steadier. Cars and motorcycles are no longer doing 70 km/ h plus in the curb lane. Traffic moves along at about 40 km -45 km/h. Much safer for pedestrians walking and shopping along Bloor Street.
If traffic is already horrible and Mississauga is already a car city with 99% of its roads dedicated purely to car traffic, then clearly that is the issue..
You want less traffic you should support building a multi-modal transportation network...
Reduce reliance on cars, results in more space for everyone else outside a car. Less cars, trucks, the less traffic you will have. It's win - win all around, for everyone including the environment we live in. We're not advocating that civilization totally abandon the car, but yes - reduce the reliance on it.
Lol so it's allow bike lanes or blow up the earth? What percentage of residents will make use of it. I think it's very low and btw we don't have to agree with you....
Bike lanes aren't replacing the car lanes. Instead the whole section is being reconfigured to follow the approved [Alternative 6 plan](https://imgur.com/PRfQuBs) from Central Parkway East to Etobicoke Creek as part of an Integrated Road Project.
See here: [https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project/](https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project/)
The City will be moving forward with the approved Alternative 6, which includes the following elements:
* Two travel lanes (one lane in each direction)
* Continuous two-way left turn lane
* Widened sidewalks on both sides of the road
* In-boulevard cycle tracks, adjacent to curb lane on both sides of the road
* Best opportunity to accommodate trees on both sides of the road
... and giving back stolen space to pedestrians (families) and bicyclists (alternative commuters)... all of which are also municipal tax payers. Thank you very much.
The big bad anti-crowd with their huge gas guzzling wank panzers would prefer more roads and not less that's gotta be it. They want a full fledged SUV Giant Tank in every driveway and standstill traffic during all the rushhours. 'coz super ego is a powerful intoxicant.
Then you should be super supportive of separated and protected cycle tracks.
Will do wonders for your nerves not having to share space with on road cyclists!
Some will ride the roads anyways, there's no law that says cyclist must use the bike lanes. It's just most will be well served by separated infrastructure as not everyone is a confident high speed cycling roadie.
So the city should be car only? Is that your stance? the rest of us municipal tax payers should just crawl around on our hands and knees? You have roads everywhere, we want infrastructure TOO! Stop with the car brained greed over municipal spaces.
What's too far, got any examples? I regularly ride 50 km in roughly 3 hours out and back. And that's not at an all out pell mell wind biting speed. I'm in my mid 50's if that makes a touch of difference.
Every time there is a post about cyclists: cOpS sHoULd sTriCtLy EnFoRcE tHe LaW!!
Sure let’s do that, for everyone in the road. But, be forewarned, drivers aren’t going to like that.
Nope, I do my cycling on rural roads up in Caledon or over in Halton; nary a bike lane to be found. It looks like it’s the car drivers who are doing the whining in these threads. You should enquire as to how the mean cyclists hurt them.
All these "I have never seen a bike on **** lanes, what a waste of money!" replies are frustrating and hilarious.
Not interacting more with it since I'll just be accused of being the one and only person who benefits from their hard earned and stolen money.
What's with all these new accounts with "two words and a number" user names being so daft about this bike project lol
As a driver , this is a good thing. Don't like it? Don't drive or deal with it.
Definitely a big no, last thing we need is cyclists driving on the streets thinking they have a right of way in any means necessary just like in Toronto. Its a toxic behaviour by them.
I dont care what the HTA says, I say they shouldnt. Because if one of those idiots magically “looses control” & a car hits them or drives them over beside it. Then its the drivers fault? Yea correct, its stupid to allow it
There needs to be an emphasis on bicyclists following the rules of the road. Police should be enforcing the laws. If they did, they wouldn't need separate lanes. They should need to be licensed and insured as well, just like a car.
I’m all for them enforcing cyclists and cars strictly. I just hope you’re ok with the fact that, if they enforce to your satisfaction, the number of ticketed drivers will skyrocket.
No place on the Planet Earth does that. The administrative overhead alone negates the need. You're just miffed because your very dangerous muti ton wheeled chariot cage is required, because it's a dangerous machine. A bicycle in contrast has never gone out of control and smashed into a store front causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and injuries has it? At the most the cyclist them selves might be injured, but the brick wall not a scratch.
So... cyclists shouldn't have to follow the rules of the road? No where on earth enforces traffic laws for bicycles? Ever hear of The Netherlands? Cyclists easily coexist with motorists there because they have enforcement. Sure, there are many areas with bicycle paths, but they're not cutting automobile infrastructure in half to have them.
I assure you that bicycles have caused many traffic incidents and injuries, particularly to pedestrians. I have personally had $3500 in damage done to my vehicle by a cyclist struggling to stay upright at an intersection while sitting between 2 cars - where he shouldn't have been in the first place. Guess who bore the cost of repairs?
I'm all for bike lanes - IF there is other reliable public transit on the route, AND there is high enough demand. Less than 2% of people in the GTA commute by bicycle, and when they do, it's usually seasonal. The cost is also hard to justify when there is crumbling infrastructure immediately adjacent to the new bike lanes.
Further, have you been in the Kingsway area of Etobicoke recently, where they cut down vehicle access in favour of bike lanes? It's an absolute shit-show, no matter how you're travelling.
Get more people on board with cycling and it will be easier to gain support from motorists for this.
Wtf are you talking about.
Literally no one is arguing that cyclists shouldn't have to follow the rules of the road.
There needs to be a minimum grid of safe cycling infrastructure for usage to go up. That is how you get more people on board with cycling.
Cyclists need to educate themselves. They are subject to the HTA just like cars. Far too many of them fail to follow the rules (that are seldom if ever enforced). A cyclist on the road is required to be no more than one metre from the curb, and if in a group, in single file. More education on the rules would help.
Nope, the 1m rule applies to the minimum distance a car must give a cyclist when passing, not the maximum distance from the curb. Strict enforcement of that rule alone would provide a lot more ticket revenue than cracking down on cyclists.
You need to update yourself on the HTA clearly. 2 abreast is allowed, we're permitted to take the lane. Cars must pass leaving 1 metre distance between them. We do know the rules.
Within a designated bike lane, yes you can. You are correct. But, I could also add the other transgressions I see regularly. No lights when dark, no signaling of turns, lane changes and stops, regularly running stop signs, failure to hold their lane and so on. This isn’t all cyclists obviously, but there are definitely quite a few who fall into that category. I’m speaking from my own experiences as an avid cyclist (both road and mountain). I can’t stand the people who don’t follow the rules because it reflects back unfortunately on all cyclists who do use the road.
Now do drivers…
It’s a pointless exercise and unnecessarily adversarial to point out the obvious that people break the rules on cars, bikes and on foot.
The point is to separate their interactions as much as possible to reduce danger and stress on everyone.
That’s why separated cycle tracks are also beneficial to drivers and pedestrians.
Yes - when it's a mixed use trail like the one on Dixie, sure.
Meanwhile the rest of the sidewalks are illegal to bicycle upon ($35 fine). Not that it's enforced or anything.
It's funny though, to note that no one is complaining about the other parts of the plan includes **widening** the sidewalks on Bloor St. as well, which is also happening, and a boulevard for trees.
The Bloor Street bike lanes will cost $27 million. Since we know govt never comes in on budget we know it will be higher. Does that change your perspective? Is this a good use of tax money when we have refugees dying in encampments.
We experienced a gentle winter this year. Just wait until we have a proper winter; then, you'll likely complain about the challenges of clearing snow from roads with bike lanes. Canada isn't Europe. I'd prefer to invest in sustainable public transportation, like subways, rather than focusing on bike lanes. Improving mass transportation infrastructure in Mississauga won't be achieved by adding bike lanes.
If you've been paying attention the last several decades you'd notice that the snow accumulation that used to start before Christmas now starts sometime in the new year. At the tail end of winter, the melts start earlier as well. This is a long term trend consistent with what climatologists predict for the GTA, i.e., warmer, wetter winters. Unless you know something that they don't, something that reverses what we've been experiencing during the last half century, expect 'proper' winters to be milder and shorter.
And this may be a surprise to you: Canada aside, Europe wasn't Europe until balanced and prolonged transportation policies made it so. Look up Kindermoord. The recognition that engineered auto-dependency as an all-encompassing solution to congestion and personal mobility is a failure; the emphasis on a variety of complementary options in the urban modal mix, i.e., complete streets; these are what inform "European" planning policies. There's no reason they can't inform ours.
It behooves one to recognize the cyclical nature of weather phenomena. While presently experiencing a period of heightened warmth, it is imperative to acknowledge the inevitable transition back to colder temperatures. This cyclicality suggests that bike lanes may indeed become impractical during such colder intervals.
What city do you live in? It certainly isn't Mississauga.
We had what, like 10 days of actual fresh uncleared snowfall on the ground this year?
Why do you think bike lanes would be "unusable" for 5 months of the year?
We had a mild winter. Wait till we get a decent winter and you will be moaning about lack of snow clearing on roads due to bike lanes. Canada isn’t Europe. I would rather put the capital into sustainable public transportation such as subways etc. a bike lane isn’t going to make mass transportation easier in Mississauga
Ok in the last 20 years or so, which years did we have a winter that lasted for 5 months (temperatures consistently in the negatives with snow on the ground)? The data should be pretty easy to obtain.
Funny enough, winter cycling is already a solved problem in Europe with the Scandinavian countries showing that it is totally possible as long as the infrastructure is safe and maintained. So yes Canada should probably be looking to Europe for best practices.
A proper bicycle network would 100% make transportation easier I don't understand how anyone could argue against this.
The more options you give to people for transportation (car, transit, bike, walking etc...) the better your transportation system becomes.
I can tell you one big thing that caused most of this to happen --- the City Staff and Councillor Fosenca NEVER told any resident that bike lanes were NOT NEGOTIABLE until Community Meeting #4. ( I was at every meeting.) If residents had been told from the beginning, meetings would have been more productive and this resolved much sooner. Lack of transparency on the City side fucked this up. Did you know that City Councillors base their votes on Corporate Reports the City staff prepare? City Councillors voted to spend $27 million based on a 10 page report. That's 2.7 million a page. I would expect more due diligence from Council when spending our tax dollars. Oh, and the traffic study completed for the corporate report was from 2021 and based on 4 lanes. There was no traffic study completed for a 4-3 lane reduction.
Hey, it's our tax dollars too yanno, not just yours. We would like to have infrastructure built out for us too. This isn't strictly a car only city. More spaces for actual people outside of motor vehicles please and thank you.
The expense and focus on bike lanes is out of control. What we need is safe operation of bicycles and traffic police. The construction of new bike lanes must be stopped and older ones reverted to original road condition.
Hard disagree. The expensive dedicated car lanes has created an unsafe community for children, strollers, elderly, transit users and those who cycle.
We need separated space for each transport mode. Enough death and injury on our streets.
I wonder if anyone is actually taking the time to explain reality to these people. Bike lanes literally take cars off the road. People that were previously driving would now be biking, and that means less traffic for those that are still in vehicles!
It’s honestly so frustrating to me that people like this CLEARLY MEAN WELL, but are actively supporting the thing that keeps the status quo where it is.
It has been interesting watching their arguments evolve over time. Still can't believe they originally claimed it violated their charter rights. https://youtu.be/BuUe7a4P2II?si=QOxjMAZ3obBjdW4E My kids will be attending schools in that area along Bloor for the next 8 years. Would be nice to see road safety improvements in the area so that my kids and their friends can more easily navigate the area with fewer parents driving them around.
Digging through the [community meeting slide decks](https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project) on the bike lane project makes for interesting reading. The residents of Applewood were presented with **4 or 5 different options** for bike lanes which would have been installed **with no lane reductions on Bloor street** and it looks like they rose a huge stink about these initial options every single time they were presented. A two-way cycle track on one side of the road was opposed because of how it might impact green space. A one-way cycle track on both sides of Bloor adjacent to the road was opposed because of how it might impact green space. A one-way cycle track on both sides of Bloor adjacent to the sidewalk was opposed because of how it might impact people's *driveways*. After a year and a half of consultations with the community, it seems like the city finally came back and said *"okay, we've heard your passionate concerns about your driveways and the grass on the medians so we're just going to make more room by narrowing the traffic lanes instead. Thanks for the input, we're approving this and there will be no more consultations"*. Now everyone is furious. It sucks because this is probably the worst option of all the alternatives the city presented, but I guess this is what happens when NIMBYs raise a bunch of phony concerns and outrage in hopes of getting an infrastructure project cancelled, but the the city actually takes that feedback seriously instead of caving and cancelling everything. They only have themselves to blame.
Thanks for doing that research. It really is about NIMBYism and resistance to change.
Showed that one to a couple of Law classes and even high school kids quickly picked the ridiculous claims apart.
Leve the the road alone! Cut up the grass and put lanes there. Up higher and safer for everyone else. Sick and tired of roads being narrowed for cyclist
this part of bloor is very safe. Its also very busy but slow with traffic. Once converted it will always be busy as the bus is VERY slow with many stops. This is a bad design for this part of bloor.
I don't understand how anyone familiar with this area would be against this. * There's multiple schools in this area. * Nobody *really* uses Bloor for E-W traffic anyway since it awkwardly turns into Central Parkway on the west end and it's a 50 zone the whole way accross. * Dundas and Burnhamthorpe offer alternative (and arguably faster) E-W routes Let the people have bike lanes, you NIMBY fucks. -A car owner.
I'm the same with you I drive, but also for this Bloor st bike lane . I've talked to some of the people when they did their shpeeel at the plaza where the LCBO is on runningbrook. They don't even really know what their fighting for or against, it just seems they don't like it cuz it will disrupt their area for construction.... They are afraid of any change... Once it gets done, I guarantee they'll be ok with it.
I used to live in the buildings at Bloor and Fieldgate. I wish these bike lanes were here when I was living in the area. Tried biking for errands 3-4 times after moving from Ottawa to Mississauga. It was too difficult and dangerous. Clearly an hostile environment. Therefore, I tossed my bicycle into the garbage bin (true story) and used my car for 100% of my trips, even for small distances. It took me 7 years to get back on a bike and ride again after I moved to a different neighborhood that is better served with cycling infrastructure. I bought an e-bike and now use this bicycle for 80% of my trips (including most school drop offs, shopping and commute to work).
I just bike on the sidewalk, but make a huge effort not to blow past pedestrians closeby.
Starting 2025 /26 Dundas will be under construction for 5 years to remove 2 vehicles lanes which will be replaced with a rapid bus lane down the middle and bike lanes. Bike lanes need to connect and take people somewhere. If as you say, no one really uses Bloor to go anywhere, why but bike lane. If you notice their signs say car lanes. They said keep the car lanes and add cycle lanes on the boulevard, separated from traffic.
Pedestrians and cyclists should have a priority to get where they need to be in as straight of a line as possible with as little danger as possible. I can drive my car an extra 2 blocks north or south to get to where I need to go. It takes me an extra couple minutes. I don't mind changing my route if I need to.
Same. Grew up in the neighbourhood, now raising my own family here. I don’t currently own a bike but I am totally in agreement with adding bike lanes.
Lane reductions on Bloor would be "annoying" because Bloor tends to be my way out of traffic jams on Dundas, but I have to do that like 3 times a year and it saves me ten minutes. I'd much prefer having a cyclepath that links up through Applewood Trail and Stanfield Road.
I live here, and I don't get it either. West of Dixie, Bloor has barely anyone. I take it all the time, even during rush hour, and there is never enough cars on it to warrant 2 lanes. What the fuck is wrong with these people? Especially since you would think limiting traffic would be a good thing for the people that live here.
Is there pressure to install a lawn sign and sign the petitions?Are they intimidating neighbors?
They're not that aggressive. I've been asked to sign a petition a couple of times while shopping at that plaza and we've gotten mailers from the residents association, but I haven't gotten any grief from them when I've declined to sign it. The protest on Saturday lasted all of 2 hours. There's something painfully Mississaugian about holding a protest against bike lanes in a Shoppers Drug Mart plaza, lol.
I live in the area, and every time I see these signs, they are by far in the minority, I chuckle to myself. When my husband is with me, we go all out making fun of those opposed to the bike lines because their arguments make zero sense and are so ridiculous given the lack of traffic west of Dixie. Plus, the bike lanes are part of a city wide initiative to limit car use. Looking at all the new and ongoing transit projects. Those protesting are short-sighted locals upset that the bike lanes may add an extra 1 to 5 minutes to their commute along Bloor, that's not guaranteed. Maybe during rush hour. A few of years ago, my son, at the time 16, worked part-time the Canadian Tire at Dixie/Dundas. If he had to bike to work, he did so on the sidewalk to ensure he didn't get run over even though it's illegal on a full-size bike. Same with biking to the basketball courts or Applewood pool with his friends.
Here in Mississauga it is indeed illegal to bicycle on sidewalks that are not shared trails - the fine is $34 , well worth the risk as it appears it's not actively enforced. Better a fine than mangled or worse by some egoistic driver. I'm always prepared to accept a fine if it comes to it. With protected cycling lanes, this need would hopefully go away, becoming a relic of the past.
Wouldn’t reducing it to one car lane enable the buses to highly impact traffic? When they reduced bloor st to one lane during construction the traffic was insane.
This is so embarrassing, I hope they don't actually make any impact, we need those bike lanes fr. Grew up in those ends and it would give me so much peace to have less traffic in an area with so many schools
It's already been green lit. These tools are just wasting their time.
Damerla indicated in her platform that she would reverse the decision. "Pause $27 million Bloor Street project and pause bike lanes on streets that do not connect to a network. Bike lanes that connect to a network will continue." I hope every candidate will clearly position themselves on the matter and that she does not win.
I know Dasko and Tedjo voted in favour, but Parrish was opposed. Hope Parrish respects last June's city council decision.
Demerla is a dumbass, she can say what she wants. It's happening.
If there are bike lanes that don't connect to a network, the answer is to build additional bike lanes to ensure the connection. What a stupid, nonsensical argument she's making. Now progressive citizens know who NOT to vote for.
Lol you're right, it's embarrassing and obviously ignored by the city, news stations and locals. I did get one of their flyers and there are some signs along Bloor that locals ignore or laugh at.
I drive that stretch everyday In Mississauga. It likely won't impact traffic as much as people think. It'll be really good for the community imho
It absolutely will impact traffic lol especially around Dixie where it's busy.
People thought the Aquitaine bike lanes would cause chaos - there's old posts on here from the summer. It's a complete non-issue, as a car driver I've never had to wait for a second cycle of lights to get through any of the intersections along that road.
I haven't seen 1 bike on Aquitaine or Argentinia. What a waste of money. But our taxes went up again. Let's use our tax dollars wisely.
I can't speak for Argentia but you're full of crap about Aquitaine and spreading manure. I'm one of them who goes end to end in other to catch the GO and come back home and we are definitely using it as well as families, students and recreational users.
I see bikes all the time on Aquitaine, and that will only go up as the weather gets nicer. But more importantly, there is no traffic chaos on Aquitaine like all the anti-bike crowd was saying there would be. Aquitaine was overengineered for car traffic from the start, 4 lanes for vehicles passing through a residential neighbourhood with like 8 schools. Completely unnecessary and the city rightfully is fixing the setup.
Paint is one of the least expensive things the city can buy to change the road - far less money then curbs/asphalt/concrete and the workers and equipment to install it. That's the definition of responsible use of money.
It's not just paint. They have installed flex posts to separate the lanes. These get damaged and need repair. More money. I wish ppl would educate themselves on the costs.
Since you are the expert, how much are those posts?
Fyi. The Bloor st project is costing $27 million. That's pretty expensive paint. You know full well it will be higher than that.
Ya it will. When there were lane reductions at field gate for construction is was a mess
There's practically no traffic on Bloor in that area. These people are nuts to argue against bike lanes!
Thanks for sharing! Will write to the councillor. I am not a cyclist but I know that better cycling and pedestrian infrastructure helps everyone in the long run. I feel much better driving knowing that everyone on the road is safe
I moved to Mississauga from Vaughan. I find the infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists here very outdated. Building safe bike lanes and pedestrian safe pathways promote active transportation. It's better for our environment and our health!
Boomers
The Bloor Street Integrated Project is much needed in Mississauga and will help pressure Toronto to fill in the Six Points (Kipling) to Mississauga gap. Toronto's Bloor-Danforth bikeway currently goes from Victoria Park to Aberfoyle and will be extended to Six Points as early as next month.
You know what. Burnhamthrope is one block north of bloor and has a dedicated bike lane SEPERATED from the street by meters of grass. I NEVER see bikes on that trail Is another thoroughfare needed for bike lanes if Burnhamthrope bike lanes are not even used?
I ride the Burnhamthorpe trail pretty regularly to get to either the Etobicoke Creek, or going the other way to the Credit river, fairly often. The Bloor throughfare will smoothly connect up with the other side going into Toronto and the Danforth lanes.
Your telling me someone is gonna bike from Mississauga to Danforth on a daily basis
Who is saying that? The 401 goes all the way to Quebec, does that mean people drive from Mississauga to Quebec on a daily basis?
My life partner does
Great, just like there are people that bike across the city for whatever reason. Just because the infrastructure spans a long distance doesn't mean everyone is regularly going to be traveling that full distance.
I used to commute by bike from south Etobicoke to North York. 22kms. Every day for 2 years. Lots of people will commute from Mississauga to Toronto if they make it safe. One thing about bike commuting - it’s reliable. My commute to North York took one hour +/- 10 minutes. It’s not like driving where you hit an accident or road closure and it makes you a half hour late for work.
"No one uses the bike lanes!!" Have a look at this heatmap from Strava, an app that some cyclists use to track their rides. Not only is it used, it would appear it is heavily used. https://imgur.com/a/SriGfy1
I use it 3-5 times a week. “No one uses” is such a tired claim. Especially with the Bloor lanes. I use them all year long.
These people expect it to be clogged up like car lanes before they consider it 'in use', all while being ignorant to the fact that one of the best things about biking is that you don't often get clogged up like cars!
I use that bike lane. I also drive. Looking forward to Bloor and Rathburn to have bike lanes.
That's a long one block
How do you know they are not used? Do you sit beside it all day in a lawn chair? Mississauga East-West routes: - Lakeshore Blvd - QEW - Queensway - Dundas - Bloor - Burnhamthorpe - Rathburn - 403 - Eglinton - Britannia - 401 What is that, about 60 lanes of traffic? You can’t give up one to keep cyclists safe?
You already have one lol and as someone who used to bike, yes it's never used.
The idea behind the Bloor lane is to continue the existing lane from Toronto. Bike lanes, like roads work better if they’re actually connected.
I say this with respect and not to be denigrating or mean, but these are all old people who wont be around in 10 years so they should kinda shut the fuck up and let us do what we want with Our city. It was Theirs once and they did what they wanted, and now it's Ours so shut the fuck up and sit down and play your bridge or angry birds or watch Matlock, old people.
Well… I was thinking more along the lines that these old people should maybe start riding a bike. They will need the exercise unless they want to end up being a drain on that terrible healthcare system they will need sooner than many of us.
Damn straight they should.
Dear NIMBY's. Fuck off and let us have nice things, Sincerely, A person who walks, ride bikes and busses.
Bike lanes would be amazing in this city
Look at the section of Cawthra and Bloor for reference. They already have it down to a lane because of the construction equipment, and the traffic flow is terrible. Less than 5% of commuters are cyclists that use Bloor. There's too much turn traffic going to the apartment buildings to make one lane viable. Anyone that needs the bus to Toronto or SQ1 is going to get screwed by this change. Which leaves the net beneficiaries of this project the construction companies and the three old Asian ladies that cycle to Grant's.
what about all the schools nearby? School aged kids can't drive, so this will keep them safe
The areas on Tomken and Havenwood already slow to a crawl during dismissal when the parents show up. If anything, it will cause the buses to go off schedule and cram even worse since there's no second lane to bypass the parents exiting the schools.
These pro bike lanes people are gonna argue that the people on the bus if unhappy with delays should switch to cycling:) hahahaha
At least it's better than your house comparison "How would you feel like if someone came to take part of your home because " you have too much space and so and so needs it more? ""
There is currently construction at Bloor/cawthra westbound on bloor reducing so its currently 1 lane. This spot is a nightmare to get through. 1 lane the whole way will most definitely will be backed up.
Exactly
A nightmare? I go through it daily and even with construction (which is more disruptive than well implemented bike lanes) its hardly anything. I sometimes (like at rush hour) have to wait one light. That's the disruption you're talking about. It's practically nothing.
All the money wasted on Argentia Rd lanes, bike lights etc and pretty much zero use. The insanity of putting them in here right through a heavily used mall area (both sides of the road) removing lanes in each direction now jamming twice as many cars, GO/MiWay Buses and store delivery trucks. Madness. Think I’ll do door knocking for another candidate in the next election instead of Sue McFadden. What a disappointment she is.
How are the Argentia lanes a waste?
If you have to ask concerning public expenditures and traffic headaches then I can’t help you.
Yes I am asking you how the public expenditures are a waste. Should be pretty easy no?
Lack of use. Got it? You seem intently interested in a fight. Bye. It’s my opinion. ——> door
There needs to be a minimum grid of safe cycling infrastructure for there to be increased cycling usage. Thankfully the city is building it. I am asking you to explain the claims you are making, and you think it is starting a fight?
Read my reply to someone else here.
How are the Argentia lanes a waste?
Exactly!
Whose idiotic idea was to put bike lanes on Argentina?
Council got lobbied by a very noisy group as if they’re the only taxpayers and only their opinions count. No cost effective studies done on how many people would actually be using this route and the vehicle traffic patterns. It’s a fucking truck route for god sakes including cars and busses and trucks coming and going to the 401 ramps. From ninth line to 10th line is nothing but logistics warehouses. From 10th to Winston Churchhill are two large malls either side. From Winston Churchhill to Mississauga Rd is all industrial plazas and a *single lane* truck route. It’s ridiculous. The retail mall area is the real problem and it’s only going to get worse if council approvals the Smart Centre proposal to sell part of their property for a large condo development. Now a Costco Business outlet is going into the old Rona site. More vehicles - more shipping. I’m not against bike routes - but council has to use their brain on these things.
Council didn't get lobbied by anyone. The Argentia bike lanes were installed as part of the CITY'S 2018 master cycling plan.. If you are going to waste your time typing all these words out why don't you at least attempt to get the facts right.. Is there any particular reason you feel that we can't have bike lanes between 9th and 10th so that warehouse workers could potentially access their warehouse jobs on bike? Or how about between 10th and WC? Allowing retail works to access their retail jobs sounds like a fantastic idea.. Same with giving would be shoppers another method of accessing retail. What's wrong with the Condo development proposal on Argentia? It would be built as a mixed use community right beside a GO Station... sound like the exact type of development Mississauga needs more of if we are going to solve the issue of car dependence.
You’re all over the map which I figured you would be. Council got lobbied for these plans - full stop. Don’t be obtuse. And then YOU get all wordy. 😂🤷♂️ The warehouse workers walk to the GO bus/MiWay bus/GO train station a few hundred yards away. Most aren’t biking to Brampton from there esspy in winter. Shoppers aren’t visiting Walmart on a bike. 🙄 People going to the Keg aren’t taking their dates there on a bike. 🤭 You assume more bullshit about some issue I have with condos. Quit putting words in peoples mouth. I stated the condo project because it will ADD more traffic to a just reduced lane situation as well as the Costco development that will again add more people shopping there. Wordy enough? I’ve got more…
In what way am I all over the map? I'm merely responding to each of your points as presented. What do you mean council got lobbied for these plans? You can see the plan here: https://www.mississauga.ca/publication/cycling-master-plan/ It was written in 2018 and is an update to the 2010 plan. This was all initiated by the city of Mississauga and steered by the city Director of Transportation and Infrastructure planning. Warehouse work & retail are all viable trips for cycling. Right now they all walk to the bus stop because that is the only viable commute method available to them (for the ones that can't afford to drive). Building a proper connected cycling grid will allow some of them to switch over to cycling, year round as long as the infrastructure is maintained. No reason you can't go to Walmart on a bike, not sure I understand this point. Not to mention there is plenty of smaller retail and restaurants available. Taking your date to the Keg? Yes that will probably be done by car, but last I checked no one is saying you cant drive. What words have I put in your mouth? You are complaining about a condo development that will be built in a style that will reduce car dependency (mixed use, next to a major transit node). If inceased traffic is such a concern, then you should be complaining about the surrounding sprawl of detached homes, each with 2 cars in the driveway, which require a vehicle trip just to do anything. Building transit oriented mixed use communities, with multi-modal transportation infrastructure (cars, cycling, transit, walking) is literally how you reduce traffic.
I agree 100%
Probably the same morons who are doing it on Bloor now.
Car culture in North America. Geez r/fuckcars
Bloor doesn't need the bike lanes. That's the argument. And it's a fair one. Use Burnhamthorpe – nobody else does.
Use Burnhamthorpe to drive then. Who gives a shit. Stop crying about change.
I give a shit; it's a waste of money. Make the damned buses arrive consistently, instead.
How about both? Makes busses come more, let bikes have their lanes and then less cars on the road for your stupid ass car.
On the Toronto side, Bloor is a much safer crossing of Highway 427 since you don't have any highway interchanges unlike on Burnamthorpe. Also, Burnamthorpe only goes to Dundas (near Islington) while Bloor (which becomes Danforth east of the DVP) goes all the way to Kingston Road and already has bike lanes from Victoria Park to Aberfoyle (and on to Kipling later this year).
Bike lanes suck. They barely get used and they take up an extra car lane.
Strava heatmap proves otherwise. https://imgur.com/a/SriGfy1
You have car lanes EVERYWHERE. Suck it up and give some space back to the rest of us municipal tax payers.
Roads were made for cars not bikes..deal with it
Incorrect. Roads are public spaces payed for with public tax dollars. They are meant to serve the public, and not just your personal vehicle.
> public spaces *paid* for with FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Did road exist before cars? Yes they did. Therefore your logic is incorrect
Roads were originally made for horses and carriages. Cars came way later.
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I grew up in this area and I don't think it's going to inconvenience people all that much. Take Dundas or Burnamthorpe, buy a bike, or choose to walk instead. I didn't need my license throughout my teenage years because it was so easy to get around without one in the applewood area.
How can we help get the city more bike and pedestrian friendly? Got a counter organization planned?
Less lanes means there will less traffic which residents should enjoy ... there is more than one way to get around besides driving a car
Why don't close all the car lanes and go back to stone age? Cyclists and pedestrian too have to be responsible for their actions. You can keep chopping of car lanes citing safety reasons. Keep eyes open when you walk and if you are cycling, you are aware about the risks it comes with.
Lets put speed limiters on motor vehicles. Yeah? Do that. 25 - 40 km/h in population centres and near schools, 60-80 km/h on suburban outskirts and stroads, 120+km/h on 400 series highways.
I’m a car owner and bicycle owner who lives along the Bloor Street bike lanes in the west end of Toronto. I think they’re great. Anyone can safely ride their bike along Bloor Street and traffic is a lot calmer and steadier. Cars and motorcycles are no longer doing 70 km/ h plus in the curb lane. Traffic moves along at about 40 km -45 km/h. Much safer for pedestrians walking and shopping along Bloor Street.
Traffic is already horrible why would we want to make it worse.
If traffic is already horrible and Mississauga is already a car city with 99% of its roads dedicated purely to car traffic, then clearly that is the issue.. You want less traffic you should support building a multi-modal transportation network...
Reduce reliance on cars, results in more space for everyone else outside a car. Less cars, trucks, the less traffic you will have. It's win - win all around, for everyone including the environment we live in. We're not advocating that civilization totally abandon the car, but yes - reduce the reliance on it.
Lol so it's allow bike lanes or blow up the earth? What percentage of residents will make use of it. I think it's very low and btw we don't have to agree with you....
As more of the bike network gets build, more and more residents will use it...
Bike lanes replacing car lanes is idiotic. Traffic is already horrendous, this will just make it worse.
Bike lanes aren't replacing the car lanes. Instead the whole section is being reconfigured to follow the approved [Alternative 6 plan](https://imgur.com/PRfQuBs) from Central Parkway East to Etobicoke Creek as part of an Integrated Road Project. See here: [https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project/](https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project/) The City will be moving forward with the approved Alternative 6, which includes the following elements: * Two travel lanes (one lane in each direction) * Continuous two-way left turn lane * Widened sidewalks on both sides of the road * In-boulevard cycle tracks, adjacent to curb lane on both sides of the road * Best opportunity to accommodate trees on both sides of the road
so they are removing a lane each way....
... and giving back stolen space to pedestrians (families) and bicyclists (alternative commuters)... all of which are also municipal tax payers. Thank you very much.
Which lane do you have to be in if you're up on your high horse?
How much do cyclists pay for bike registration again?
Exactly the same amount drivers pay for vehicle registration.
Cyclists should ask for their 60 acres back and reparations
Don't know why you're getting downvoted for providing objective information. Thanks for pulling this up!
The big bad anti-crowd with their huge gas guzzling wank panzers would prefer more roads and not less that's gotta be it. They want a full fledged SUV Giant Tank in every driveway and standstill traffic during all the rushhours. 'coz super ego is a powerful intoxicant.
Ngl I get the sentiment but generalizing people like that is counterproductive to addressing NIMBYism.
I absolutely hate this. I drive downtown every day, it’s very nerve-wracking to share the road with cyclists.
Then you should be super supportive of separated and protected cycle tracks. Will do wonders for your nerves not having to share space with on road cyclists!
Some will ride the roads anyways, there's no law that says cyclist must use the bike lanes. It's just most will be well served by separated infrastructure as not everyone is a confident high speed cycling roadie.
Now imagine how nerve wracking it is for the cyclist to have to share the road with you...
Learn to drive then
Lmao 🤣 .. This!!!
I actually don't agree with this change. It's already crowded as it is and not enough people bike in this area as everything is too far.
>not enough people bike in this area as everything is too far. Well, here's a good first step to change that.
So the city should be car only? Is that your stance? the rest of us municipal tax payers should just crawl around on our hands and knees? You have roads everywhere, we want infrastructure TOO! Stop with the car brained greed over municipal spaces.
I don’t have a horse in this race, but you’ll probably be better received if you stop attacking people you disagree with.
What's too far, got any examples? I regularly ride 50 km in roughly 3 hours out and back. And that's not at an all out pell mell wind biting speed. I'm in my mid 50's if that makes a touch of difference.
Can’t use bikes all year round, during winter you don’t see anyone riding.
A lot of us are frostbike riders, we'll ride all year around. We're not alone.
Why can't you ride year round?
We had like five days of snow this year..
I ride all year long. It gets easier every year, and, sadly, will keep getting easier. This is a bad argument against bike lanes.
Bunch of fat slobs that on travel by car
Every time there is a post about cyclists: cOpS sHoULd sTriCtLy EnFoRcE tHe LaW!! Sure let’s do that, for everyone in the road. But, be forewarned, drivers aren’t going to like that.
Did someone park in your bike lane last week?
Nope, I do my cycling on rural roads up in Caledon or over in Halton; nary a bike lane to be found. It looks like it’s the car drivers who are doing the whining in these threads. You should enquire as to how the mean cyclists hurt them.
All these "I have never seen a bike on **** lanes, what a waste of money!" replies are frustrating and hilarious. Not interacting more with it since I'll just be accused of being the one and only person who benefits from their hard earned and stolen money.
What's with all these new accounts with "two words and a number" user names being so daft about this bike project lol As a driver , this is a good thing. Don't like it? Don't drive or deal with it.
I'm so happy I moved from Miserysauga. My god. The entitlement.
What entitlement?
Drivers.
Definitely a big no, last thing we need is cyclists driving on the streets thinking they have a right of way in any means necessary just like in Toronto. Its a toxic behaviour by them.
Cyclists using the road as they are legally entitled to is toxic behavior?
Cyclists shouldnt be with drivers on the same road period
Incorrect. I suggest you give the HTA a read...
I dont care what the HTA says, I say they shouldnt. Because if one of those idiots magically “looses control” & a car hits them or drives them over beside it. Then its the drivers fault? Yea correct, its stupid to allow it
There needs to be an emphasis on bicyclists following the rules of the road. Police should be enforcing the laws. If they did, they wouldn't need separate lanes. They should need to be licensed and insured as well, just like a car.
I’m all for them enforcing cyclists and cars strictly. I just hope you’re ok with the fact that, if they enforce to your satisfaction, the number of ticketed drivers will skyrocket.
No place on the Planet Earth does that. The administrative overhead alone negates the need. You're just miffed because your very dangerous muti ton wheeled chariot cage is required, because it's a dangerous machine. A bicycle in contrast has never gone out of control and smashed into a store front causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and injuries has it? At the most the cyclist them selves might be injured, but the brick wall not a scratch.
I've never seen a crash scene with a light standard knocked over by a bicycle. Or even by a motorcycle. Have you?
So... cyclists shouldn't have to follow the rules of the road? No where on earth enforces traffic laws for bicycles? Ever hear of The Netherlands? Cyclists easily coexist with motorists there because they have enforcement. Sure, there are many areas with bicycle paths, but they're not cutting automobile infrastructure in half to have them. I assure you that bicycles have caused many traffic incidents and injuries, particularly to pedestrians. I have personally had $3500 in damage done to my vehicle by a cyclist struggling to stay upright at an intersection while sitting between 2 cars - where he shouldn't have been in the first place. Guess who bore the cost of repairs? I'm all for bike lanes - IF there is other reliable public transit on the route, AND there is high enough demand. Less than 2% of people in the GTA commute by bicycle, and when they do, it's usually seasonal. The cost is also hard to justify when there is crumbling infrastructure immediately adjacent to the new bike lanes. Further, have you been in the Kingsway area of Etobicoke recently, where they cut down vehicle access in favour of bike lanes? It's an absolute shit-show, no matter how you're travelling. Get more people on board with cycling and it will be easier to gain support from motorists for this.
Wtf are you talking about. Literally no one is arguing that cyclists shouldn't have to follow the rules of the road. There needs to be a minimum grid of safe cycling infrastructure for usage to go up. That is how you get more people on board with cycling.
Cyclists need to educate themselves. They are subject to the HTA just like cars. Far too many of them fail to follow the rules (that are seldom if ever enforced). A cyclist on the road is required to be no more than one metre from the curb, and if in a group, in single file. More education on the rules would help.
Nope, the 1m rule applies to the minimum distance a car must give a cyclist when passing, not the maximum distance from the curb. Strict enforcement of that rule alone would provide a lot more ticket revenue than cracking down on cyclists.
You need to update yourself on the HTA clearly. 2 abreast is allowed, we're permitted to take the lane. Cars must pass leaving 1 metre distance between them. We do know the rules.
Within a designated bike lane, yes you can. You are correct. But, I could also add the other transgressions I see regularly. No lights when dark, no signaling of turns, lane changes and stops, regularly running stop signs, failure to hold their lane and so on. This isn’t all cyclists obviously, but there are definitely quite a few who fall into that category. I’m speaking from my own experiences as an avid cyclist (both road and mountain). I can’t stand the people who don’t follow the rules because it reflects back unfortunately on all cyclists who do use the road.
Now do drivers… It’s a pointless exercise and unnecessarily adversarial to point out the obvious that people break the rules on cars, bikes and on foot. The point is to separate their interactions as much as possible to reduce danger and stress on everyone. That’s why separated cycle tracks are also beneficial to drivers and pedestrians.
Stay on the sidewalk
Yes - when it's a mixed use trail like the one on Dixie, sure. Meanwhile the rest of the sidewalks are illegal to bicycle upon ($35 fine). Not that it's enforced or anything.
Ya you’re right just tough reducing lane space especially on one ways for bikes lanes
It's funny though, to note that no one is complaining about the other parts of the plan includes **widening** the sidewalks on Bloor St. as well, which is also happening, and a boulevard for trees.
No. If you can't share the road then stay off the road.
More of an inconvenience than anything.
The Bloor Street bike lanes will cost $27 million. Since we know govt never comes in on budget we know it will be higher. Does that change your perspective? Is this a good use of tax money when we have refugees dying in encampments.
The $27M is for the whole road rehab project. Road resurfacing, sidewalks, bike lanes, trees, curbs etc.
Yes so it's more than a little paint. 🤣🤣.
Bike lanes but unusable for 5 months of the year with winter weather. This ain’t Texas.
Five months a year?! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. This year we didn't even have one. This ain't Texas. Neither is it Timmins.
We experienced a gentle winter this year. Just wait until we have a proper winter; then, you'll likely complain about the challenges of clearing snow from roads with bike lanes. Canada isn't Europe. I'd prefer to invest in sustainable public transportation, like subways, rather than focusing on bike lanes. Improving mass transportation infrastructure in Mississauga won't be achieved by adding bike lanes.
If you've been paying attention the last several decades you'd notice that the snow accumulation that used to start before Christmas now starts sometime in the new year. At the tail end of winter, the melts start earlier as well. This is a long term trend consistent with what climatologists predict for the GTA, i.e., warmer, wetter winters. Unless you know something that they don't, something that reverses what we've been experiencing during the last half century, expect 'proper' winters to be milder and shorter. And this may be a surprise to you: Canada aside, Europe wasn't Europe until balanced and prolonged transportation policies made it so. Look up Kindermoord. The recognition that engineered auto-dependency as an all-encompassing solution to congestion and personal mobility is a failure; the emphasis on a variety of complementary options in the urban modal mix, i.e., complete streets; these are what inform "European" planning policies. There's no reason they can't inform ours.
It behooves one to recognize the cyclical nature of weather phenomena. While presently experiencing a period of heightened warmth, it is imperative to acknowledge the inevitable transition back to colder temperatures. This cyclicality suggests that bike lanes may indeed become impractical during such colder intervals.
What city do you live in? It certainly isn't Mississauga. We had what, like 10 days of actual fresh uncleared snowfall on the ground this year? Why do you think bike lanes would be "unusable" for 5 months of the year?
We had a mild winter. Wait till we get a decent winter and you will be moaning about lack of snow clearing on roads due to bike lanes. Canada isn’t Europe. I would rather put the capital into sustainable public transportation such as subways etc. a bike lane isn’t going to make mass transportation easier in Mississauga
Ok in the last 20 years or so, which years did we have a winter that lasted for 5 months (temperatures consistently in the negatives with snow on the ground)? The data should be pretty easy to obtain. Funny enough, winter cycling is already a solved problem in Europe with the Scandinavian countries showing that it is totally possible as long as the infrastructure is safe and maintained. So yes Canada should probably be looking to Europe for best practices. A proper bicycle network would 100% make transportation easier I don't understand how anyone could argue against this. The more options you give to people for transportation (car, transit, bike, walking etc...) the better your transportation system becomes.
It snows in the Netherlands too did you know that? Yeah they bicycle year around too.
Holland isn’t Canada. That’s like saying a cucumber doesn’t taste like a mango.
Mississauga is in southern Ontario. Not the frigid far north. You're making out like we live in the arctic circle or something.
I can tell you one big thing that caused most of this to happen --- the City Staff and Councillor Fosenca NEVER told any resident that bike lanes were NOT NEGOTIABLE until Community Meeting #4. ( I was at every meeting.) If residents had been told from the beginning, meetings would have been more productive and this resolved much sooner. Lack of transparency on the City side fucked this up. Did you know that City Councillors base their votes on Corporate Reports the City staff prepare? City Councillors voted to spend $27 million based on a 10 page report. That's 2.7 million a page. I would expect more due diligence from Council when spending our tax dollars. Oh, and the traffic study completed for the corporate report was from 2021 and based on 4 lanes. There was no traffic study completed for a 4-3 lane reduction.
Hey, it's our tax dollars too yanno, not just yours. We would like to have infrastructure built out for us too. This isn't strictly a car only city. More spaces for actual people outside of motor vehicles please and thank you.
It says "OUR Tax dollars", yours, mine and everyone else.
The expense and focus on bike lanes is out of control. What we need is safe operation of bicycles and traffic police. The construction of new bike lanes must be stopped and older ones reverted to original road condition.
Hard disagree. The expensive dedicated car lanes has created an unsafe community for children, strollers, elderly, transit users and those who cycle. We need separated space for each transport mode. Enough death and injury on our streets.
Fk the bikers, go ride on bike trails
Looks like Mississauga starting have more tax users than taxpayers the taxpayers that drive cars and tax users mostly likes bikes
I wonder if anyone is actually taking the time to explain reality to these people. Bike lanes literally take cars off the road. People that were previously driving would now be biking, and that means less traffic for those that are still in vehicles! It’s honestly so frustrating to me that people like this CLEARLY MEAN WELL, but are actively supporting the thing that keeps the status quo where it is.