You cycled where?!?

Vaughan Mills Mall, located in Vaughan at Highway 400 and Rutherford Road, is a shopping and entertainment complex of colossal proportions. With over 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m²) of retail space, all on a single floor, it is the 11th largest mall in Canada and 6th largest in the GTA.

It's often a stressful drive to get there, particulary during the evening rush or on weekends.  This is the result of car-centric planning, which has consequently made every other mode seem difficult and uninviting.
























I rode my bike there last week.  My route was mostly on minor roads (except a short segment on Jane on the sidewalk), it was quick (quicker than a car during rush hour), and relatively easy.  The most challenging part of the ride was crossing the 4-lane ring road that surrounds Vaughan Mills.  The intersection circled in red below is a controlled by stop signs, which ends up being really unconfortable to cross by bike or two feet.  It's not often that you see such a big intersection controlled by stop signs.  The crosswalk doesn't even have curb cuts.

The second issue I have is with the bike parking.  Their website clearly says 16 bike racks at each main entrance (in addition to 6300 free parking spaces for cars).  I biked around the mall and found a total of 6 bike parking spots for the entire mall (2 spots at entrance #2, and 4 spots at entrance #4).  Entrances #1, 3, 5, and 6 had no bike parking, unless you count the light poles. 

For what is such a significant urban centre, and traffic generator, I expected better.

Entry 1

Entry 3

I didn't see any bike parking at the Transit terminal at Vaughan Mills either.

One ring and post at Entry 2

Two ring and posts at Entry 4

Here's my bike route from Vaughan City Hall to Vaughan Mills Mall.

If you ask most people, they'd think it is crazy to ride your bike to Vaughan Mills.  I would say they are crazy not to.  Have you seen the traffic on Rutherford Road at 5pm?  You can by-pass that traffic on a bike, and arrive with a smile on your face.

Another wheelbender rack

Today was a glorious day for riding, so I took my bike to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items, instead of driving.  Here's the entrance to Fortinos in Maple.  It does have a bike rack (arrow on the left), but it's the bad bike parking type. 

The middle arrow points to a bike leaning against some grocery carts, and the right arrow points to a bike (mine) locked to a sign.  I've opted not to use the wheelbender bike rack on the left.  See next photo.

 

One gentle push and these tire rims are a mangled mess!  The owner of the blue bike on the right chose to lay theirs down to avoid the risk of damage.  Also note that the rack is too close to the wall, so bikes can only be parked from one side.

Businesses need some guidelines on what bike parking is acceptable and not.  People in Vaughan do bike places.  Quality bike parking is a small measure, but it's good for business and sends the message that "we care about cyclists and we care about our City".

Community Bike Ride for Vaughan's Earth Hour

On March 28th, I participated in the Vaughan's Earth Hour event held at City Hall.  It included a night bike ride hosted by the City of Vaughan and Vaughan Bicycle User Group.

The festivities included a energy conservation expo.

Here's the Vaughan BUG table.  The group encourage residents to give cycling a try for commuting and recreation.

People were asked to fill in the blank.  "My Bike is My..." escape; fresh air; keeping fit; fun, etc.  A bike is many different things to many people, and all of it makes life better.

The 7 km bike ride offered a the opportunity for a group ride through the community, to socialize with other cyclists, and communicate that people in Vaughan do cycle.  It showed that a night ride in March can be quite enjoyable, and is very commonplace in many cities.  Cycling can be a year-round activity, even in our climate.

Here's the route, which started at Vaughan City Hall, went south on Peter Rupert (edge lines added in Fall 2014), west on Rutherford (paved shoulders), and north on a "Block 18" multi-use trail from Rutherford to Lealands Rd.

Here's the route from a cyclist's perspective... part 1 is from Vaughan City Hall, to Peter Rupert & Rutherford.

Here's part 2, from Peter Rupert & Rutherford, north on the trail along the CN/GO train corridor, and through the local neighbourhood back to City Hall.


I hope the ride continues to grow, and that more Vaughan residents discover that cycling is a fun, easy, healthy, inexpensive way to get around and reduce their environmental footprint.

Concrete or asphalt?

Last week, I biked the new multi-use path on Warden Avenue from Major Mackenzie to 16th Avenue in Markham, about 2km in length.  It's a 3m wide concrete path plus a 1m wide strip between the path and the curb, providing ample space in the boulevard.  Here's a project news release.

There's currently no signage or pavement markings indicating that cyclists are welcome in the boulevard here.  It looks like a wide sidewalk, particularly since it is concrete.

There's a debate in Markham about whether asphalt or concrete is a better surface for cycletracks and multi-use paths.  I rode the asphalt path on Major Mackenzie from Angus Glen Community Centre, and then connected to the concrete MUP on Warden.  I found the asphalt had a smoother ride (no joints to ride over).  The condition of the asphalt path has held up nicely since it was build a few years ago, though concrete is expected to last longer.

Here's a short video showing segments of both the asphalt (Major Mackenzie) and concrete (Warden).  Sorry it's a bit shakey, my helmet cam wasn't on tight enough.  0 - 1:10 is Major Mackenzie, 1:10 - 2:08 is Warden.

My verdict: I don't think concrete is worth the extra cost.  If it is built properly, an asphalt path will serve the cyclists needs.  I'd rather have more kilometres of usable paths.  However, time will tell on the full life cycle costs and maintenance requirements.  The paths on Warden and Major Mackenzie offer a good opportunity to study how the two different surfaces hold up over time.

Highlights from the 2015 Toronto Bike Show March 6-8, 2015

I checked out the Toronto Bike Show on March 6, 2015 for a look at all things bicycling.  I was curious to see what all the hype was about.

Here are a few of my highlights:

• I picked up the new map for the Greenbelt Route launching this summer
• I joined the Toronto Bicycle Network, the largest recreational cycling club in the GTA.  I look forward to some group rides this season, many through York Region
• Viewed bicycle art by Luigia Zilli
• Found a Tandem rental in Mississauga MBS Tandems
• Got some great cycling resources on the Laurentians and Eastern Townships of Quebec, for when I visit there this summer
• Picked up some handy cycling maps from Transportation Options for various municipalities around the GTA and beyond, as well as the Cycling in Ontario 2015 publication
• Grabbed some reading material: Pedal magazine, Get Out there Magazing, Canadian Cyclist magazine
• Learned about some potential events I may participate in, like the Ride Don't Hide for Mental Health on June 21st in Newmarket

Some long distance routes...

Bicycle Polo match.  This was serious competition. Their maneuvering skills were impressive!

Flatlands Freestyle competition.

Trailblazers Tandem Cycling Club, gives those with limited or no sight the opportunity to cycle.

Lots and lots of bikes, but I didn't spend much time looking at the retail section this time.

Durham Mountain Biking Club has a sister chapter, the York Mountain Biking Assocation (YMBA).

Folding bikes...

Trailers of all kinds...

There was something for everyone at the Toronto Bike Show.  It definitely got me excited for the warmer days ahead!

 

A better Hwy 7/404 interchange crossing

I rode the Hwy 7 bike lanes across the 404 interchange this week.  York Region has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation to make this a safer and more effective interchange for cyclists and motorists. Completed in Fall 2014, the bike lanes with green markings across the ramp mixing zones are among only a handful of such examples in Ontario (I only know of 403/Fairview in Burlington, and 400/Duckworth in Barrie).





There were a few wet spots, and some stored snow was encroaching the bike lane, but the buffer provides some extra width for cyclists and I thought it was a relatively comfortable winter ride.  A cyclist could easily use this commuter route year-round (though the left turn bike boxes were completely covered with snow).

Hwy 7 BEFORE (no bike facilites) - westbound approach 404











Hwy 7 NOW (buffered bike lanes, sidewalk, transit lanes) - westbound approach 404

With MTO's #CycleON Action Plan 1.0 released in 2014, it appears that these types of interchange improvements will become the norm rather than the exception, making the crossings a lot less challenging by bike.  All road users will benefit.

Sidewalk Cycling: to Ride or Not to Ride?

I admit that I sometimes ride my bike on the sidewalk, usually with my kids or along certain busy roadways with very few pedestrians.  Of course, I use extra caution, as motorists at driveways and intersections are not expecting cyclists, and I'm courteous to pedestrians by ringing my bell in advance and passing on the grass.  This video by the Bicycle League of American Cyclists does a great job explaining the risks:



Is sidewalk cycling legal?  According to Every Cyclist's Guide to Canadian Law:

"Traffic laws in Ontario do not specifically prohibit riding on sidewalks.  Restrictions on cycling on sidewalks can be regulated by municipal by-laws."  

In 2014, the City of Toronto amended it's bylaw to state that no person age 14 and older (rather than based on wheel size) may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk.  The fine for an adult who rides a bicycle on a sidewalk shall be $60.  The intent of this bylaw is to allow young children to cycle on the sidewalk while they learn to ride.

Here's a summary of the cycling on sidewalk laws in York Region:

Municipality	Bylaw No.	Definition(s)	Relevant Clause(s)	Adults Allowed Cycling on Sidewalk
City of Markham	106-71: Traffic	“Bicycle” includes tricycle or unicycle with a wheel or wheels of more than 24 inches in diameter.	15) No person shall ride a bicycle with a wheel or wheels more than 24 inches in diameter upon a sidewalk on any road.	NO (but $2 fine!)
Town of Richmond Hill	N/A	N/A	Traffic Bylaw Not Available	YES
City of Vaughan	284-94	“Bicycle” includes a tricycle having a wheel or wheels of more than 60 centimetres in diameter.	1)       “Where official signs to that effect are erected and on display, no bicyclist may travel on any sidewalk section set out in schedule A” Schedule A is blank	YES
Town of Aurora	4574-04.T	“Bicycle includes a tricycle having a wheel or wheels of more than 60 centimetres in diameter.	No Clause	YES
Town of King	N/A	N/A	Traffic Bylaw Not Available	YES
Town of East Gwillimbury	2014-048	“Bicycle” includes a two or three wheeled non-motorized vehicle having wheels of more than 60 centimetres in diameter.	1)       “No person shall ride a bicycle or a motor-assisted bicycle with a wheel or wheels more than sixty (60) centimetres in diameter upon a sidewalk on any highway”	NO
Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville	2008-147-TR	“Bicycle” includes a tricycle and unicycle but does not include a motor assisted bicycle.	1)       “No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk on any highway”	NO
Town of Georgina	2001-0046 (TR-1)	“Bicycle” includes a tricycle having a wheel or wheels or more than 60 centimeters in diameter.	1)       “No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk on any highway”	NO
Town of Newmarket	2011-24	“Bicycle” is a device propelled solely by human power, upon which a person may ride either on or astride a regular seat attached thereto, including a tricycle and unicycle, but excluding children’s bicycles or toy vehicle.	1)       “A person driving a bicycle, power assisted bicycle, moped or motor assisted bicycles upon a roadway shall not: (c) Ride a bicycle, power assisted  bicycle, moped or a motor assisted bicycle with a wheel or wheels more than sixty (60) centimetres in diameter upon a sidewalk on any roadway”	NO

Main Street in Newmarket has specific pavement markings clearly indicating no sidewalk cycling.  This makes sense because of the pedestrian activity, and the number of store entrances right next to the sidewalk makes it hazardous if cyclists and pedestrians were mixed.

The problem with sidewalk cycling as I see it is the risky behaviour of some cyclists.  Here's an example at the Dufferin/407 interchange in Vaughan.  The sidewalk cyclist is riding against traffic, does not slow down at the intersection, and does not have a bike light.  To make matters worse, the sight lines for right-turning motorists coming off the ramp are restricted by the guiderail and bridge.  These drivers will be looking the opposite way to see if it's clear to turn, and may barely slow down.  The cyclist was lucky this time around, but it will catch up with him eventually.  

Advocate for better cycling facilities.  In the mean time, if you do choose to ride on the sidewalk because it's the best option, ride smart!