Time to draw the line for traffic on Birchmount
It’ll soon be back to two lanes of vehicles in both directions on Birchmount Rd., after lines to separate traffic are added.
The war on the bicycle continues with the scrubbing of cycling lanes on streets where drivers had grudgingly learned to share the space, including some that were heavily travelled by cyclists.
But Birchmount Rd. was always frustrating for drivers, who were squeezed from two lanes into one several years ago to make room for bike lanes that were seldom used.
Peggy Lewis emailed to say the bike lanes north of Danforth Ave. “have been covered over, but it is unclear to most drivers whether Birchmount has been returned to a two-lane road or remains a one-lane road.
“It looks like the city did the cheapest possible fix (only removing the lines), without addressing the larger issue about lanes, which is undoubtedly what irritated most drivers.
“I’ve seen accidents almost caused when a driver decides it’s a two-lane road.”
We found the cycling lanes obscured with black paint on Birchmount, between Kings- ton Rd., and St. Clair Ave., where the street reverts to two lanes of traffic in both directions.
A faint outline of white lines down the middle of the road is already in place, in preparation for permanent lane markings, but they are no substitute for the real thing.
STATUS: An email from Dan Egan, who’s in charge of cycling infrastructure, says the cycling lanes were scrubbed last fall, “but it was too late in the year to repaint the roadway as four lanes of traffic.” The new lane markings are scheduled to be painted on any day now, as soon as weather permits, Egan said.
UPDATE: Our Thursday column was about a puzzling water leak next to the new 11 Division police station, on Osler St., north of Davenport Rd. Andrea Gonsalves, who deals with media for Toronto Water, said an investigation determined that a water service line next to the sidewalk was broken, which was scheduled for repair on Friday.
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