Toronto council approves making Richmond-Adelaide bike lanes permanent

Thestar.com
January 31, 2019
Jennifer Pagliaro

The Richmond-Adelaide bike lanes are here to stay.

More than seven years after council first approved a study putting bike infrastructure on the major east-west routes, council has approved making the lanes a permanent part of the city streets.

A report from the city noted there was a significant increase in the number of cyclists on Richmond and Adelaide Sts. after the bike lanes were installed.

On Wednesday, the recommendation from staff saw little debate from a council that has often argued about a “war on cars” when it comes to sharing the road and even saw council rivals congratulating one another on working together.

According to a staff report, cyclists now represent approximately one-third of all vehicles entering the downtown core in the morning along Adelaide St. and leaving in the afternoon along Richmond St. The same report noted there was a significant increase in the number of cyclists after the lanes were installed with little impact on drivers.

Council also approved, on the recommendation of staff, moving the Adelaide St. lane to the north side of the street to improve safety. A motion from Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam to work with the local BIAs on the design of that lane shift to improve road safety also passed.

The Star reported last week that the city has built less than 6 per cent of the bike lanes called for in the 10-year cycling plan council approved in 2016.