One of the visions of the Toronto Bike Plan is a network of bike lanes, routes and paths that covers the entire City of Toronto. The network is starting to be laid out with new routes and lanes connecting to some of the existing ones. One of the elements missing from the Bikeway Network to this point is a way to navigate the network on the ground. The Bike Plan also envisions a Bikeway Network Information System (BNIS) that will help cyclists find their way along the Bikeway Network. This information system is to include the Toronto Cycling Map, signs on the roads and paths marking the various routes, information boards posted around the city at entry points to the network or at major Bikeway Network intersections, and an online information system. The first component of the information system was completed this year. The 2003 Toronto Cycling Map was made available this past spring. The second portion, the signs, are in the pilot project stage this summer. The purpose of the signage pilot project is to evaluate the design and location of the new Bikeway signs which are pictured to the right. The pilot project involved the installation of 150 signs on 8 existing bike routes in an area of downtown bordered by Sherbourne Street to the West, the lower Don Trail on the East, Gerrard Street East to the North and Queens's Quay to the South. Now that the signs have been installed the City of Toronto is gathering feedback from cyclists through formal and informal surveys. This is being done with the help of the Cycling Ambassadors(aka the Road and Trail Safety Ambassadors).

Cyclists are now being invited to give their opinion of the new signage system. The feedback from cyclists will be used by City staff in improving the design and location of signs. In 2004 the city will start installing the signs along the entire bikeway network.

I am sure you have heard of rolling polls. The way that feedback is being gathered by the Cycling Ambassadors is via a riding survey. I took part on Saturday with Ernest Chan, one of the Ambassadors, conducting the survey. I was given a set of written instructions to follow and after a few initial questions set off on my trip with Ernest following, noting my progress along the prescribed route. Periodically he would stop me and ask some questions about the signage that I had followed. After we had completed the route he asked some final questions and gathered my overall impressions of the signs. The survey took an hour to complete.

The feedback on the new signs is being conducted till August 25th. Cyclists are being encouraged to take part in the surveys so they can get a good amount of feedback. If you want to be involved all the relevant information is included in the following message from the City of Toronto.

The City of Toronto has installed 150 new Bikeway Network signs to test their design and placement. Volunteers who would like to share their ideas and participate in the evaluation please call 416 338 5077. The rides are being held until August 25th. As a member of Toronto's cycling community, your input and evaluation of the new signage system for the Bikeway Network is a vital step in the development of the Bicycle Network and the fulfilment of Toronto's Bike Plan.

The survey is done by bike and takes approximately an hour. Volunteers will be provided with a set of directions that they will be asked to follow. The route will test the clarity of the Bikeway Network signage. Cycling Ambassadors will ride with the volunteers to evaluate the placement and design of the signs. The survey will be done by asking them questions and watching them cycle.

The Cycling Ambassadors will be meeting at the Parliament St. Library (269 Gerrard) between 5pm and 6pm each day of the survey period between July 30th ending August 25th.

We look forward to seeing you at the Parliament St. Library. Please call Cycling Ambassador Hanna Ziada at (416) 338 5077 to book your appointment or to ask further questions regarding the BNIS survey.

For more information regarding the Bike Plan and the Bikeway Network visitwww.toronto.ca/cycling/bikeplan.htm

Thank you for your support.

In addition to the riding survey with the Cycling Ambassador there is a quick survey that you can do on your own. You can pick up a survey at the Parliament Street Library, ride the area yourself and then complete the survey and drop it back at a drop box in the library.(The Parliament Street Library is at the southwest corner of Parliament and Gerrard) There are also survey brochures at community centres and bikeshops in the area of the pilot project. Also you can pick them up from the Cycling Ambassadors who will be at the Parliament Street Library at 5:00pm every day till August 25th.

Part of the new Bikeway Network Information System is the route numbering. In the process of designing the signs City staff had to come up with a way of identifying cycling routes. They looked at numbering systems that were used in various cities around the world. They settled on a system that is used in San Francisco (See SF maps). This system numbers all routes with even numbers for east-west routes and odd numbers for north-south routes. Short connector routes will have three digit numbers.

The way the system is being applied in Toronto is that east - west Routes will have even numbers. Numbering starts at the Lake Ontario shoreline with the Martin Goodman Trail being route 2. As it goes north the route numbers will increase by 2 or 4 depending on the distance between them. The east-west route the furthest north in Toronto will be about 44. The North-South routes will have odd numbers. The numbering will be west to east. The most westerly north-south route at the Missisauga, Toronto border will be number 1. The most westerly route will be numbered 99. Where possible the routes will span the city. They will not necessarily follow the same streets across the city but the signs will direct you as to how to trace your way across the city. The route numbers will also be on the Toronto Cycling Map starting with the 2004 cycling map. This will help people plan their trips and figure out how to get around the city on their bike.

The pilot project does not include two components of the signage system that are recommended in the Bike Plan namely a means of indicating distance traveled and distance to go and a way to indicate major destinations and landmarks. This may be something that is added as the Bikeway Network Information system is developed with the input of cyclists who contribute their feedback and with the help of the members of the Toronto Cycling Committee and its Road and Trail sub-committee.

Below are some photos of signs that have been installed outside of the pilot project survey area along the Lake Shore East Boulevard path.

Once all the feedback is in the sign design will be revised and 2004 will see the the new signs installed along more of the Bikeway routes.