City to set up pilot project bike lanes along University Avenue

Bike Plan could see expanded infrastructure. Toronto's Public Works and Infrastructure will discuss a proposal suggestiong major changes to bike lanes in the downtown core. Stock photo

The proposal this year would effectively complete the bike plan in the city's core, according to Dan Egan, who manages the implementation of Toronto's Bike Plan.

"We're really focusing on the downtown this year," said Egan, who is also presenting a proposal to start up a public bike share program, so Torontonians can use public bicycles for short trips through the downtown.

"There's not a lot of projects in the suburbs. The idea is really over the next year to finish everything downtown, so when the public bike program rolls out there's infrastructure in place to support it."

The proposal will be going to Toronto's public works and infrastructure committee meeting on April 20. In addition to Bay Street and University Avenue, there will be four other new bike routes in the downtown core, and tweaks to other routes across the city.

But the major changes are just that - relatively major. The plan to construct separated bike lanes will mark the first time that Toronto bike lanes are not just marked - but also physically separated from traffic.

The Queen's Park bike lanes would run along the median, in a "New York" style bike lane, and would connect existing lanes on Wellesley Street, College Street and Gerrard Street West. It would run from Richmond Street north to Wellesley Street West.

According to the staff report going to works, University is an ideal candidate for the trial because it is wider than most downtown streets and has a centre median along which cyclists can ride.

"This design option is similar to the design of New York City's protected bicycle lanes, which are typically on the left side of one-way arterials," the report read.

The left-lane approach means that all the curb-lane uses currently on University - including stopping zones, taxi zones and vendor permits - could continue.

The lanes would be introduced in July, with a temporary barrier, signage and pavement markings, and removed at the end of September.

The Bay Street plan would be more permanent. While the curb lane on Bay Street is currently reserved for cyclists, taxis and buses, the new plan would use everything from separated lanes, regulation city bike lanes, and sharrows to make it clear to motorists and cyclists where each should be.

Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclist's Union, said both plans were important steps - particularly the University Avenue plan.

"Certainly physically separated bike lanes are the most effective at providing safe spaces for cyclists to ride," she said. "That certainly stops cyclists from having to jut around a parked car. It's a step in the right direction and I'm glad to see the city is piloting this."

She said that while it will be difficult to duplicate the separated lanes on Toronto's narrower streets, the north-south route will connect up a lot of existing bike lanes.

"It's really a core route north south, and there's enough space to try the physical separation," she said. "And it will beautify the street. Rather than being an inner city highway, a high-speed roadway, it's a showcase in the heart of the city."

She said the Bay Street lanes should help remind drivers about keeping clear of the right hand lane.

"I think this will allow cyclists an extended north-south route," she said. "There's a ton of people coming up and down from the Islands."

However, the plan has critics - particularly the pilot project for University Avenue.

Mayoralty candidate Rocco Rossi called the University plan "a recipe for gridlock."

"I think the staff recommendation is a recipe for gridlock," he said. "At a time when our transit funding is at risk and at a time when you have a wonderful north-south route up Beverly Street, St. George, Poplar Plains that gets you down from Avenue Road and St. Clair, much more efficiently, taking two lanes of capacity out of University Avenue makes no sense whatsoever."

Faye Lyons of the Canadian Automobile Association said her group opposes removing the lanes.

"We think this is going to create a lot of congestion and creating a lot of congestion does not help our environment," she said.