A community gathering and press conference took place today at Kos Café Patio on Bathurst just south of Dupont to publicize how our neighbourhood has been put at risk by the planned introduction of a dedicated bus lane on Bathurst St. from Eglinton to Bloor. (South of Bloor it would be a dedicated streetcar line).
It was organized by PROTECT BATHURST, a grassroots coalition of residents, small business owners, accessibility advocates, and community leaders. Many CLRA residents attended as many of our neighbourhood issues are the same and the retail shops south of Dupont, that are threatened to be put out of business, are servicing our neighbourhood.
We learned that Diane Saxe, the Councillor for south of Dupont is prepared to work on compromises including a postponement of the 24/7 dedicated bus lane through her riding until after the next election. (Dupont to Bloor). She, as well as our own Councillor Josh Matlow have recognized the many faults with the project.
We also learned that the proposal has been removed from the Agenda for the Executive Committee Meeting on June 17th and rescheduled for July 16th.
The speakers and those gathered spoke to the same concerns we all have:
A rushed project without proper consultation with the residents, shop owners, places of worship and schools impacted by the proposed reduction in lane capacity by 50%, new restrictions on right and left turns, and encroachment into neighbourhoods by cars looking to escape the massive congestion and looking for impossible to find parking alternatives.
Many shop owners would go out of business for there is no alternative to curb side deliveries that would now become prohibited.
A lack of data and the interpretation of the limited data at hand to further an ideology or wishful thinking.
No consideration of how the Eglinton Crosstown will affect bus transportation on Bathurst.
No consideration of the lane closures from construction underway (Condominium at Bathurst and Barton) and future redevelopment.
No consideration of the streetcar lane in use between St. Clair and Bloor to ferry streetcars between St. Clair, Hillcrest Yards and downtown routes and the logistics this means for cars that now would be forced to use the same lane. (During the 1 hour press conference, 2 streetcars occupied this lane)
Exaggerated claims on the expected increase in bus riders and reduced travel times.
No equitable consideration to the many more thousands that travel by car and service vehicle down Bathurst.
No consideration to the traffic pattern differences between rush hour (25 hours a week) and non-rush hour (143 hours a week).
The awful aesthetic of painting the surface of the bus lane in red through residential neighbourhoods; probably to make any reversals after actual experience too costly.
Speech by Paul Macchiusi, local resident and shop owner.
We will keep you posted as we continue to work on this project with more engagement time available to us now because of the postponement of the Executive Committee meeting for one month.
