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Narrow is the road that leads to new bike lanes in Toronto.
The city appears to have found a way to get around a provincial law surrounding the controversial issue of bike lanes.
Rather than defy the Ontario government by removing vehicle lanes, the City of Toronto plans to narrow them to accommodate bikes.
with the passing of Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster ActDoug Ford’s government essentially banned any new bike lanes “Reduce or permit the reduction of the number of marked lanes available for travel by motor vehicles…”
but recently Cycling Network Planning Update, The City of Toronto explains how it can appease the province and add more than 20 kilometers of bike lanes at the same time.
“Vehicle lane widths will be reduced to conform with current City guidelines and promote safe travel speeds,” the city said in its report.
Asked about the plans Monday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said it was a fair compromise.
“From day one, I said there is a win-win solution,” Chow said during a morning announcement on transit fares.
“We keep car lanes, we keep bike lanes, everybody’s happy and we keep cyclists safe, so that’s what’s happening. It’s not a flaw. It works, it’s just better design.
“Bike lanes will be installed, car lanes will remain and roads will be better designed. We are moving forward.”
A six-kilometre stretch of Kingston Road is being targeted for new bike lanes. The city’s rendering (below) shows how it plans to limit bike lanes.
Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s transportation minister, was asked if the city had found a way to circumvent the provincial law.
Sarkaria said he has no problem with the city’s plan as long as vehicle lanes are not affected.
“We want to see that the vehicle lanes remain in place… We’ve seen the highest levels of gridlock we’ve ever seen here in the city, but to us if the vehicle lanes are still there then it’s in compliance with the law,” he said.
“If there’s a way where you can create both vehicle lanes and bike lanes on the same road, that’s fine.”
In its quarterly cycling infrastructure update, the city outlined the following projects, including new bike lanes, bicycle tracks and multi-use trails. The proposed initiative came with an estimated price tag of $30,400,000.
- Alton Towers Neighborhood Connection on Ingleton Boulevard (cycle track and
Multi Use Path, Ward 23). - Keele Street Safety and Bikeway Improvements (Multi-Use Path, Wards 6 and 7).
- A safe Kingston Road (cycle track, Wards 20 and 24).
- Kipling Avenue roadway improvements at Kipling Avenue, Albion Road, Panorama
Court, and Penley Avenue (cycle track and multi-use trail, Ward 1). - Malvern Neighborhood Connection at Brecon Gate, Brenyon Way, Casebridge
Court, Crow Trail, Grand Marshall Drive, Venture Drive and Water Tower Gate
(Cycle tracks, bike lanes, multi-use routes, shared lanes and footpaths, Ward 23 and
25).
Cycling Network Plan: 2025 Cycling Infrastructure – 4th Quarter Update Page 2 of 65 - Martin Grove Cycling Connection at Martin Grove Road, Acorn Avenue, Bloor
Street West, Charleston Road, Montesson Street, Rockfield Drive, Swan Avenue,
and Wilmer Road (cycle track and shared lane, Ward 2). - Morningside Avenue Connections (Multi-Use Trail, Ward 24).
- Rathburn Road bikeway and safety improvements (cycle track, Ward 2).
- Shoreham Drive and Murray Ross Parkway (cycle track, Ward 7).
- Tretheway Drive cycling connections and intersection safety improvements underway
Tretheway Drive, Clearview Heights, and Municipal Drive (cycle track, shared lanes,
and contra-flow bike lane, Ward 5). - Weston Road streetscape and road safety improvements (cycle track, Ward 7).
more to come