Metronauts
Exploring a sustainable urban future
The cyclist paradox
Posted on September 15, 2008 at 8:46 pm by Andrae Griffith
Should cyclists be allowed to use the elevators to bring their bicycles onto the subway?
I think so, provided they are not crowding out people who use mobility devices. Carrying a bike up or down stairs can be very difficult especially after a long ride, and sustainable, multi-modal trips could be just what the doctor ordered for this region.
Should subway stations be integrated into buildings where possible?
I also thing so. Subways stations should be placed close to planned and development, as stand-alone station buildings aren’t necessarily the best use of the land. Taking it to the next step and putting subway station entrances into malls and office buildings results in a synergy where the property management company gets guaranteed traffic in front of their retail spaces while the TTC saves money on building infrastructure and accessible facilities. This seems to have worked well in many locations, and passengers have enjoyed the ability to walk from the subway to their office indoors for years.
But, what happens when the property management company bans bicycles or other objects from their buildings?
Today, I observed what appeared to be a security guard for a downtown mall (I won’t say which one) escorting a gentleman with a bicycle out of the building. It appeared that the gentleman brought the bike inside in order to use the elevator to get to the subway. At this particular station there is barrier-free access to the station using only public property, but what about a station like York Mills, where the only barrier-free access from the street is through an office building – where it is their prerogative to ban certain items from their property.
On one hand, there is no dispute that the mall is private property and that the property management company has the right to welcome or turn away any visitor of their choosing (within reason, of course). On the other hand, aren’t they infringing on reasonable freedom of mobility?
In the gray area between private and public property, who has control and who should have control?
Image source: Flickr user “naturalkinds” and is licensed under Creative Commons
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I’d suggest that those who buy property with a direct access to subway, or agree to such access being created when a subway is built, must commit to allowing passage for anyone who is compliant with the TTC bylaws.
If the property owners do not like that, they can exercise their freedom to buy property away from the subway route.
Maybe the cyclist was on his bike in the mall? Who knows? I have seen people walk through Malls with their bikes. I guess it is up to the security guard.
When connections are built by private property owners to TTC subway stations they must sign Connection Access agreements (not the proper name).
Those agreements currently require all buildings with such connections to permit access to TTC facilities during the operating hours of the subway (roughly 6am-2am inclusive).
This is why any almost any Downtown Path building can be accessed till 2am any night of the week.
Even though all the stores may be closed, all the offices locked, the front door to the TTC must remain open (that means the building front door as well).
This was true in a building I worked in that didn’t even have access to the subway directly, but rather had a ‘path’ access agreement which had minimum open hours attached. The guards were not permitted to lock up till 2am.
Now, having never actually read one of these agreements I’m not sure what they have to say, if anything about bikes.
But I presume they would be treated no different than cargo of any other kind and/or mobility aids.
Which is to say, outside of rush hour there are no restrictions on bring such items on the subway.
I would thusly determine that it is not for the private property owner to say otherwise; though, I may stand to be corrected on that point.
Of course, anyone riding or being reckless is a different matter.
Being able to take your bike on subway station elevators also seems to depend on the whim of the operator for those you have to buzz to operate. I once tried to use the elevator to the northbound Queen platform during off-rush, with no mobility device users around, and the operator refused to let me use it, resulting in a trip down the narrow escalator at that entrance.