The Bloor bike lanes need to be extended west from Shaw Street (pictured) to High Park |
Proposed major city-wide cycling network (via City of Toronto) |
Within this city-wide network, the most immediate focus is on Bloor and Danforth. Consultations for the westward extension of the Bloor bike lanes to High Park Avenue are expected to launch this year with implementation by 2020 or 2021, though supporters are increasingly calling on Mayor John Tory and City Council for a 2020 installation. A community letter of support drafted by Bells on Bloor has gotten over sixty signatories representing businesses, community groups, institutions, and elected representatives.
Doctors for Safe Cycling recently held a press conference calling for bike lanes to be installed on Danforth for 2020. The City is planning to launch the Danforth complete streets study from Broadview to Victoria Park Avenues this year, though they are aiming for a 2021 installation date. The Sherbourne to Church section of Bloor – originally due for 2017 – is now scheduled for reconstruction in 2022, which leaves the Yorkville stretch from Church to Avenue with no reference of installation timing. Any further extensions into Scarborough and Etobicoke – except for the Six Points intersection at Kipling – would have to wait until after the 2022 election.
The north-south routes aren’t expected to be built before 2022, but there is reason to be concerned about Yonge Street. From Bloor to the Waterfront, some councillors are keen on getting protected bike lanes on University Avenue, while the yongeTOmorrow study is considering installing protected bike lanes on Bay instead of Yonge to connect with those on Davenport and fill existing gaps. The Midtown in Focus study is looking at three different arterials – Avenue, Yonge, and Mount Pleasant for the Bloor to Lawrence stretch. Finally, there will be a decision later this year on whether to pursue Transform Yonge in North York (Sheppard to Finch) or move the bike lanes onto Beecroft. While University can be justified with its eight traffic lanes and higher cycling demand downtown, any decision to focus on Bay would effectively kill any hope for Yonge. Advocates are encouraged to push for a continuous north-south bike route on Yonge with the possibility of a car free section from College to Queen.
Map of proposed 2019 cycling projects (via City of Toronto) |
The deadline to register to speak or provide comments to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee (iec@toronto.ca) and your city councillor is 4:30 PM on Wednesday, June 26. Cycle Toronto issued this press release, though those wishing to provide submissions (reference Motion IE6.11) should focus on the following key items:
- Extend the Bloor bike lanes west to High Park Avenue by 2020
- Implement a pilot bike lane on Danforth Avenue by 2020
- Require bike lanes and protected intersections by default as roads are due for reconstruction
Rob Z (e-mail)
The author hit the bullseye: the chief obstacle is lack of political will. Always has been.
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