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Extend Bayview to bicyclists

Since we’re on the subject of bike lanes – we’re not about to let that Jarvis storm go away – let’s not forget that there are some other north-south routes into the core that could just as easily accommodate bikeways, separated ones at that.

My favourite prospect: Bayview south of Moore, otherwise known as the Bayview Extension. Mount Pleasant would be a close second, but Bayview’s a natural.

The four-lane thoroughfare sits right in the middle of the Don Valley transportation corridor – and has shoulders to die for – some two metres wide on each side – enough room to physically separate bike and car traffic. Trees, hedgerows, bollards, or a combination thereof, would all meet the aesthetic test.

I know critics will say that Bayview’s too high-speed for bike lanes, too steep in spots for anybody by cycling warriors.

They’ll point to the fact that there’s already a bike path through the along the nearby Don. (Recreational bike paths are never direct enough for serious city commuting, but that’s another story.)

Putting bike lanes on Bayview will improve safety. Right now it’s a mini-DVP. There are some hairy stretches.

Bike lanes will provide that psychological cue drivers need to be more careful.

But bike lanes are not enough if the goal is to make Bayview more than just another way for cyclists to get downtown.

The proposed Don Mills LRT includes a northbound line right off Bayview.

Ways must be found to boost pedestrian traffic. A regular bus route on the strip is long overdue.

A walkway on the abandoned CN overpass overlooking the BrickWorks has been floated. What about treed medians right in the middle of Bayview to encourage pedestrians to cross from one side of the street to the other?

They will all help bring crowds.

Right now, for those who don’t drive or ride, there’s no way to get to this part of the valley, which in part explains why it’s favourite hangout of the homeless. Who could blame them? The scenery is killer.[rssbreak]

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