Toronto council passes scaled-back bike plan
Councillors voted 38-2 to adopt the 10-year bike network blueprint.

TheStar.com
June 9, 2016
Ben Spurr

Council has approved a weakened version of the city’s 10-year cycling plan, but agreed to revive a proposal that could bring bike lanes to Danforth Ave. as a part of it.

Public works chair Councillor Jaye Robinson called the decision, which came in a 38-2 vote on Thursday, as a “great compromise.”

“Councillors are all over the map when it comes to bike lanes in the city, and today . . . somehow we struck a chord and a compromise,” she said, adding that if the plan is built it would double the size of Toronto's cycling infrastructure.

Councillor Mary Margaret McMahon, who had lobbied relentlessly to include Danforth in the plan, said she was “thrilled” that the street could become part of the cycling network.

“It’s the main thoroughfare in the middle of the city, going east-west and connecting to the Bloor bike lanes. And it’s packed (with cyclists) all the time,” she said, adding that there was strong support in her ward for better bike infrastructure. “I would like it built yesterday.”

Danforth was one of eight major corridors that transportation staff recommended be assessed for bike lanes in the original version of the cycling plan released last month. The major corridors — which included Jane St., Kingston Rd., Kipling Ave., Midland Ave., and Lake Shore Blvd. W. — were expected to make up about 100 km of the 525 km of new infrastructure which staff identified.

But in May, the public works and infrastructure committee voted to take the major corridor studies off the table, except on sections of Yonge and Bloor where studies were already underway.

The motion approved by council Thursday asked staff to come back with a recommendation to study the Danforth in the third quarter of 2017, taking into account the results of the pilot project — separated bike lanes on a section of Bloor — that’s being installed this year.

It’s not clear when new cycling infrastructure could come to Danforth, but Robinson predicted it could be several years.

The public works committee will also review progress on the 10-year plan in 2018, at which time they could decide to undertake the remaining major corridor studies.

The bike plan debate took council more than four hours on Thursday and saw a flurry of motions, including one from Councillor Stephen Holyday that suggested licensing cyclists in order to raise money to build the network. It was ruled out of order.

But in a vote of 25-15, council did approve a surprise motion from deputy mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, that asked staff report back this year on the idea of “seasonal” cycle tracks that could be removed during winter.

There are “way less cyclists who use these cycle tracks” in colder months, said Minnan-Wong. “The thing that drives people crazy is seeing a cycle track where no one is on it, and you’re stuck in traffic.

Jared Kolb, executive director of Cycle Toronto, called the idea of seasonal lanes “a poison pill.” He acknowledged that fewer people ride in winter, but said that could change if the city built better cycling infrastructure.

“If we had that full and complete city-wide network, I’d say let’s talk about it. But we don’t,” he said. “As a fundamental principle, convenience can’t trump safety.”

The total cost of the plan is estimated at $153.5 million over 10 years. Council voted to fund it at a rate of $16 million a year, roughly double the current spending on bike infrastructure. They voted down a motion by Councillor Mike Layton to increase funding to $25 million a year, which he said could have completed the new network within seven years.

“How fast do we want to make our streets safer?” he asked.

Highlights of the city’s new 10-year bike plan

Crossing barriers
The cycle tracks on Richmond and Adelaide would be extended over the Don River to connect with bike lanes on Eastern Ave. A cycling route on Wilmington Ave. and Faywood Blvd. would tunnel below Highway 401 at Avenue Rd.

Filling the gaps
New bike lanes and cycling routes on Palmerston Ave., Sumach St., Portland St. and Dovercourt Rd. would provide links between existing bikeways and make the network denser downtown, where demand is greatest.

Cycle to subways
The plan would provide cycling connections to over a dozen TTC subway and rapid transit stations, which would promote more sustainable commutes by allowing transit riders to leave their cars at home for their entire trip.

Intercity bike lanes
Bikeways on Dufferin St. and Bathurst St. would take riders into the City of Vaughan, while routes on Burnhamthorpe Rd. and the Queensway would go all the way to Mississauga.

Gateways to green space
Parkdale residents would be connected to waterfront by a cycling route over the Gardiner Expressway at Dowling Ave., while an East York tower neighbourhood would have a direct route to the Don Valley Trail via a bike lane or cycle track on Thorncliffe Park Dr.