MEETING DATE: November 20, 2002

SUBJECT: QUESTIONS ABOUT BICYCLES ON TTC SERVICES

It is recommended that the Commission:

1. Receive this report for information, noting that:

• the existing "bicycles prohibited during peak hours" signs, which are used throughout the TTC system, should be retained, and not replaced with signs indicating the times when bicycles are permitted, because the current sign format is consistent with the widespread signage convention of denoting activities which are restricted, not those which are permitted; because changing signs would be of no benefit to customers; and because changing the signs would cost approximately $13,000;

• bike racks should not be installed on TTC buses because, as explained in more detail in this report, the TTC’s streetcars, subway cars, and Scarborough RT cars cannot be made suitable for bicycle carrying and, thus, only part of the TTC’s transfer-based inter-modal network could be made suitable for bicycle travel, and because the expected low usage of such bicycle racks do not support a business case for the purchase and installation of bicycle racks;

• bicycles should not be allowed on TTC subways during peak periods because the subways are too crowded at those times, and bicycles would inconvenience passengers and constrain passenger movement;

• TTC staff would be pleased to work with City of Toronto staff and members of the City Cycling Committee to identify potential areas at Finch, Kipling, and Kennedy Subway Stations, which could be used by an outside agency or organization for the purpose of establishing bike-share facilities; and

1. Forward this report to the City of Toronto and the City Cycling Committee.

This report has no effect on the TTC's operating or capital budgets.

At its meeting of September 30, 2002, the Commission approved a motion by Chair Betty Disero (correspondence attached) requesting that staff report back on the following:

This report responds to that request.

The current signage pertaining to bicycles on the TTC advises customers when bicycles are not permitted on the system, as opposed to when they are allowed. The current sign practice follows the normal convention of explaining restrictions on specific activities. Examples would be turning restrictions at intersections ("No Left Turn 7 a.m.-9 a.m., 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m."), stopping restrictions for traffic on busy roadways ("No Parking 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m."), entry restrictions ("No Entry Except by Authorized Personnel"), and other restrictions ("No Smoking", "No Hockey Playing Allowed in Playground", "No Cameras Allowed in Theatre").

There are approximately 550 signs in the TTC system which would have to be replaced at an estimated cost of $13,000. Changing the signs would not improve the TTC’s communication of the bylaw to the public, so this expenditure cannot be justified.

Bike racks on buses would provide a benefit to customers because bicycles are currently prohibited from all TTC services during peak periods; bike racks would overcome that restriction for buses. Bike racks would also provide additional convenience because they would make it easier to load or unload a bike from a bus, compared to the current requirement to carry the bike up the steps of a bus, through the standing space, and hold onto the bike for the duration of the trip.

Installing bike racks on buses would be of limited usefulness because the TTC’s grid network of routes encourages people to transfer between routes and modes in order to make a complete trip. However, as discussed below, the high level of crowding experienced on subways and the Scarborough RT during peak periods precludes the possibility of allowing bicycles on subways during those times. Bike racks cannot be installed on TTC streetcars because of the high clearance height of the streetcar body. Additionally, it would not be prudent to encourage customers to stand in the middle of a road, immediately adjacent to oncoming traffic, for the purpose of loading and unloading bicycles onto or off of streetcars. Therefore, bikes could be carried on racks only on buses, but not on TTC subways, RT cars, or streetcars. People who might not be aware of this could find themselves "stranded" when they try to transfer to any mode other than a bus.

O-C Transpo, the public transit system in Ottawa, installed bike racks on their buses in 1999. They presently carry, on average,1.5 bicycles per bus per day. Phoenix installed bike racks on their buses in the early 1990’s, and they reported carrying, on average, one bicycle per bus per day. Staff believe that the discontinuity of the bicycle-carrying ability of the TTC network would result in bike racks not attracting a significant number of new customers to the TTC. Therefore, a business case cannot be made for the expense of installing bike racks on the TTC bus fleet.

Bicycles should not be allowed on the subway or the Scarborough RT during peak periods because, during those times, the subways and RT are too crowded, and bicycles would inconvenience passengers and constrain movements during those crowded times. On a daily basis, at peak times the subway and RT are operating at their practical capacities with fully loaded cars and regular occurrences of crush crowding conditions on trains. In order to encourage better use of any remaining subway capacity, efforts have been made to encourage customers to distribute themselves as evenly as possible over the full lengths of the station platforms so that all cars on subway trains will be fully utilized. Designating any specific car for bicycle use would conflict with current efforts to further increase the passenger-carrying capacity of those cars.

The bike-share program entails having bicycles available at specific locations for shared use by participating members. If an outside agency or organization wished to establish a bike-share facility at Finch, Kipling, or Kennedy Stations, TTC staff would be pleased to work with City of Toronto staff responsible for bicycle-related planning and the City Cycling Committee, to identify potential locations within, or near the stations which could be used for bike-share facilities. The TTC’s Union Station is too small and crowded to accommodate a bike-share facility. If an organization wished to establish such a facility in the Union Station area, it would be necessary to locate it outside of the TTC subway station. City staff would be best-equipped to identify potential sites for such a facility outside of the TTC’s station.

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November 7, 2002

11-84-42

Attachment: September 30, 2002 Memorandum from Chair Betty Disero