Mississauga Cycling » livable streets

Open Letter to Hurontario Corridor Study

Allan Harder — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:16:07 +0000

Last week we posted information on the inclusion of cycling in the Hurontario Corridor study which was titled, Hurontario-Main Cycling Integration. Since then, MCAC chairperson Jeff Wachman has sent the following note out to Matthew Williams, the Hurontario Corridor project leader:

MCAC received an update on Hurontario corridor project and were very dismayed to read that our cycling lanes have been shuttled to the side roads and back alleys of this thriving commercial corridor. This perception that cars must have priority has taken the heart out of our city.

Our goal should be to provide a living, green healthy and vibrant community in which to live. A more appropriate direction to take would be to provide vehicle bypasses to the east and west of this corridor for vehicles using this route as a north south connector and to develop the residential and commercial sections of Hurontario into places where people can shop, dine and travel free from the noise, pollution and congestion of commuter vehicle traffic.

We hope you will reconsider your position and enhance access to our commercial activity centers for pedestrians and cyclists in an environment that looks to the future and not to the past.

MCAC received an update on Hurontario corridor project and were very dismayed to read that our cycling lanes have been shuttled to the side roads and back alleys of this thriving commercial corridor. This perception that cars must have priority has taken the heart out of our city.

Our goal should be to provide a living, green healthy and vibrant community in which to live. A more appropriate direction to take would be to provide vehicle bypasses to the east and west of this corridor for vehicles using this route as a north south connector and to develop the residential and commercial sections of Hurontario into places where people can shop, dine and travel free from the noise, pollution and congestion of commuter vehicle traffic.

We hope you will reconsider your position and enhance access to our commercial activity centers for pedestrians and cyclists in an environment that looks to the future and not to the past.

Sincerely,
Jeff Wachman Chair of MCAC

Where are the cycling lanes?

This letter represents a true love for the City of Mississauga. It’s not radical. It simply represents a belief that Mississauga can be all that it can possibly be. Being bike-friendly improves life for everyone in the area – and not just to those that ride bikes.

March 2010 is when Mississauga is releasing the draft of their Official Plan. This is the strategic document of all documents that all city planning studies should refer to. The Hurontario study should not be the great exception to this rule. Here are some excerpts from the Mississauga Official Plan (draft) that should be held up when inspecting the Hurontario Corridor study:

“Mississauga is at a decisive moment in its history – most of its greenfield lands have been developed and much of its infrastructure is in place. New growth will take place primarily through infilling and redevelopment in appropriate areas, which can benefit from growth and change, such as the Hurontario Street corridor.” (draft MOP, section 1.1)

“While arterial roads will continue to move large volumes of traffic, the design of these thoroughfares must be sensitive to surrounding land uses. Arterial roads in employment areas will continue to prioritize goods movement to support the vital role the transportation system plays in the economic health of the city. This will contrast with transportation priorities in Intensification Areas, where the needs of transit, pedestrians and cyclists will be in the forefront. In Intensification Areas, transportation decisions will support the creation of a fine grain street pattern, low traffic speeds, a mix of travel modes and attention to the design of the public realm.” (draft MOP, section 7.1)

"Corridors connect the city and link communities. They are where people experience the city on a day - to - day basis and over time will accommodate multi-modal transportation facilities. Dundas Street and Hurontario Street have been identified as Intensification Corridors where growth will be directed." (draft MOP, Figure 4-14)

It’s easier for planners and leaders to find the courage to integrate cycling into the core of the city when they know there is public support. Please send a note to the project leader of of the Hurontario Corridor study. As a convenience we have put a form below that will send it directly through email to them. Let them know that cycling facilities in the area will be used. Please state this in your own words. A message expressed uniquely from your personal passions is much better than any form letter.

For more information see the city’s listing of the Hurontario study and also the Hurontario-Main Street Study web site.

Fill out the form to express your desire for tighter integration of cycling into the Hurontario Corridor study. Click on ‘Send’ and it will immediately be mailed to the Hurontario Study’s Project Lead:

[contact-form-7]

Consider This: From Speedway to Heed-way

Allan Harder — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:41:26 +0000

Meadowvale residents of Mockingbird Lane in Ward 10 are understandably disturbed by the recurring incidents of speeding cars on their residential street. On April 9, 2009 Mississauga News reported a speeding BMW lost control and slammed into a house. Fortunately no one was killed – this time.

When this lane was built, I’m sure there were assumptions that it would host walkers, cyclists, kids at play, dogs being walked, and slow moving vehicles driving to or from the local residences. Currently, there is an underlying fear of being struck by a racing car. This recent incident proves that this fear doesn’t leave one’s mind once they are off the street and in their yard or house. The question is: How can this street be redesigned to provide not just safety, but live up to its true potential?

Last year, Mississauga Cycling posted an introduction to turning streets into a true community space that is livable and safe. See Consider This: Bicycle Boulevards. The post includes a video courtesy of NYC Streets Renaissance and StreetsBlog. The term “bicycle boulevard” can have different meanings depending on culture and context, but in this case it refers to reclaiming a street that is being used inappropriately by its current traffic. Mockingbird Lane isn’t necessarily a cross-town street being used as a high traffic thoroughfare; it needs to positively change its draw as a smooth, wide open drag strip that runs just under 1km in length.

“Road diets” are an urban planning concept that can be applied to Mockingbird Lane. Putting a road on a “diet” doesn’t necessarily mean making it smaller, but rather changes its layout where drivers have no doubt they should be driving with caution and care – even if there aren’t any speed limit signs or police presence. The road diet concept achieves its goals by appealing to the psyche of its “consumers”. In other words, if you build a road length that has smooth new pavement that is open and straight as an arrow, you are not only going to get road racers seeking it out, but also casual commuters will have a tendency to drive faster than how the road was intended. As mentioned in a StreetsBlog post called America’s Big Fat Road Problem, “People drive fast because it feels like they should. They see a wide road, and don’t give themselves much time to see anything else.”

As the Mississauga Cycling Master Plan draws near to its release-to-public date, communities across the city are being encouraged to plan their streets wisely and holistically. Mockingbird Lane is a clear candidate for forward-thinking design. Its residents demand a solution to drivers that are stealing their neighborhood life from them.

Consider how the combination of these and other proven street designs can provide a positive solution to Mockingbird Lane in Meadowvale:

Cars-in-the-middle

This delineates the roadway which basically keeps the cars in the centre and as you move to the outside of the roadway, there are then car parking spaces, followed by a bike lane, followed by a sidewalk. Simply putting paint on the road may not be enough for adequately slowing down traffic, but in this case would provide a basic framework to start with. Note that not all “livable” streets would have cars in the middle.

Home Zones

As outlined in a post from Livable Streets, home zones don’t have a cookie cutter design. They can be adapted to suit the needs of the neighborhood. Keep in mind that this isn’t an anti-car design, but one that treats a car as a guest to the streetscape, rather than having exclusive priority. The idea here is to take away a driver’s ability to see completely down to the end of the street from beginning to end. This will invariably slow down the speed. Vertical structures such as strategically placed trees and planters can accomplish this. Furthermore, putting in painted bricks on the road to mark common crossings and intersections (especially at the Snow Goose Lanes connections) are attractive reminders for drivers to heed their surroundings.

Speed Humps

Don’t confuse these with speed BUMPS. Speed humps are much more gradual and won’t be felt by cars going under 30 km/h. They are much less abrupt than speed bumps. Speed humps don’t put stress on car tires and suspension and are friendly to snow clearing equipment. They are painted with markings to alert drivers to their presence. They would be very affective at deterring speeding on Mockingbird Lane.

Multi-use Trail Integration

Mockingbird Lane has at least 4 schools nearby. Its residents are surrounded by well established bicycle and multi-use trails: Lisgar Meadow Brook Trail, Milgrove Trail, Winston Churchill Trail, and Osprey/Waxwing. Making Mockingbird Lane safe for pedestrians and bicycles makes sense for people in the area wanting to use Mississauga’s trail system. As well, it would provide a safe and viable way for students to get to school. Extending the Osprey Blvd. bike lane up to Trelawny Circle would give it the finishing touch.

These changes would naturally increase the human traffic to the area. Having people regularly strolling and cycling the streets is almost enough in itself to cause the average car driver to take heed, slow down, and have a raised awareness.

More Information

Sue McFadden, Mississauga Ward 10 Councilor, will be holding a public meeting regarding this incident. We encourage you to attend:

Community Meeting: Street Racing on Mockingbird Lanes
Trelawny Public School at 3420 Trelawny Circle
Monday, April 27, 2009
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

www.mississaugaward10.ca

One of the best ways to promote positive ideas in the city is to let your councilor know. Sue McFadden would be glad to hear from you. For information on contacting your councilor in Mississauga, please visit the City of Mississauga’s Mayor & Council site.

If you enjoyed the NYC Streets Renaissance films listed above, you will surely appreciate the Mississauga event Great Streets, Great Cities on April 22, 2009. It will feature New York City’s Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.