Protected Intersection Watching and Jays Game

On Wednesday, my employer organized a post work Blue Jays game which I haven’t seen in at least five years. During this time, work on the protected intersection at Bloor and St. George is well under way. This post covers the intersection progress so far, as well as what it’s like biking to the Rogers Centre (or Skydome for you diehards out there). 😉

Bloor and St. George

On my way home to get my bike, I checked out the latest construction activity at Bloor and St. George. The northwest corner has been dug up to make room for the second of four corner islands.

A short, raised cycle track has been installed in front of St. George subway station. Wished the rest of St. George and Beverly Streets (south of College Street) could get a similar treatment.

Last Friday was the first time I noticed construction workers building the first corner island at the southwest corner. At the time, the concrete looked freshly poured in.

Here are a couple of more photos of that same corner island taken on Saturday. You will note the cycle tracks were shifted slightly to the right to accommodate the corner islands.

For those of you biking in the area, the City of Toronto will be doing a full intersection closure from August 19 to 26. While it’s unfortunate it took Dalia Chako’s death six years ago to prompt the building of this intersection, it’s a much-needed safety improvement that needs to be rolled out across the city.

Biking to the Jays Game

After getting my bike, I took Sherbourne, Richmond, and Peter Streets to get to the Rogers Centre. At Richmond and Bay, I noticed the combo right turn and sharrow lane which the City of Toronto needs to scrap going forward. A Twitter account called @NotSafe4BikesTO has been tracking such safety hazards, so please tag the account if you encounter a dangerous situation while riding.

On Peter Street (which becomes Blue Jays Way at King Street), another facepalm emerges. There is not a single bike lane for one block from King to Wellington Streets. A gap which the City of Toronto needs to urgently fill in so people can safely bike to the stadium.

Per this Google Street View image from September 2023, the painted bike lanes from Wellington to Front Streets are faded and need to be repainted.

I was able to find some bike parking near Gate 15. Not sure where other bike parking stands are placed at the stadium, but my gut tells me a lot more of them are needed.

While the game was unfortunately a 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, it was the first time getting seats in the 400’s section a.k.a. Jays Nest. They have some games for the kids and a couple of easily accessible places for overpriced food and drink (as expected at these stadiums).

Closing Thoughts

When leaving the Rogers Centre, I noticed a lot of bike lane blocking on Blue Jays Way by taxis and Ubers. A problem which has been increasingly called out lately in response to the cyclist death from two years ago. While this may appear to be inevitable at such popular destinations, there needs to be a better way to accommodate these pick-ups and drop-offs without endangering the safety of those who bike.

On a more positive note, I look forward to seeing the protected intersection get finished.