Controversial north Yonge bike lanes made permanent by city council

Council asks for changes to signs, intersections to help traffic flow

Cbc.ca
Feb. 9, 2023
Shawn Jeffords

A controversial bike lane pilot on north Yonge Street will now be a permanent part of the major city corridor after Toronto council gave it the go-ahead Tuesday.

Council voted 22-3 in favour of the plan, resisting a push from Coun. Jon Burnside and Mayor John Tory to extend the pilot until November to further address neighbours' concerns about congestion and safety. But Coun. Dianne Saxe, whose ward is home to part of the corridor, stressed it was time to "rip off the Band-aid" instead of delaying the decision.

"The more we drag our feet, the more painful, the more expensive and the more disruptive the climate crisis will be to everything that we care about," she said.

The separated bike lanes were installed on Yonge Street between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue in the summer of 2021 as part of the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot.

Staff said their analysis indicates the bike lanes, which are separated from traffic by concrete curb blocks and plastic stanchions, have been a success and should be made permanent.

But some residents along the corridor said the lanes have increased congestion, which has led to road rage incidents and slowed emergency vehicle access to the area.

City staff, however, say their data suggests emergency vehicles' response time has remained largely unchanged.

Council did ask city staff to make changes, including modifications to traffic signals and intersections along the corridor to improve traffic flow. Emergency services have been asked to provide "granular data" on response times in the area.

Tory said while he supports the lanes, the neighbours have legitimate concerns and he was asking for further examination of the corridor.

"Why is there a rush to do this?" Tory asked during the debate.

"We can spend the time earning the confidence of the local people who I believe have spoken far more about concerns they have about this that we can fix."

Burnside said he wanted to get the project right for the city and the neighbours who have raised concerns.

"I still think we need more information in terms of data and statistics," he said.

"It's about having ... as much information as possible so that when we make that decision. Whether people agree with us or not, they're confident that we've been fully and properly informed."
City staff say their research supports the idea that the lanes have been good for cyclists and pedestrians, while causing just slight delays for motorists.

Cycling trips in the corridor have increased between 57 per cent and 250 per cent in the past 18 months, while pedestrian traffic is between 59 per cent and 145 per cent, they say.

Despite complaints from some local residents, who say traffic congestion on Yonge has become unbearable since the cycle tracks were installed, the staff report says travel times for cars in the corridor have increased by an average of 70 seconds.

Coun. Josh Matlow, who also represents a ward through which the bike lanes run, said it's time to move on with the project. He said city staff have assured him they will not be walking away from the corridor after it's made permanent, but will be working to make it better.

"So, regardless of the word 'permanent', there will still be work to do to reflect the priorities of residents of ours and midtown."