During the recent federal election, a candidate distributed flyers promising that, if elected, her party would make “historic investments in infrastructure. This means building cycling lanes and better public transit.” The transit pledge wasn't unexpected — many politicians talk about that — but her other promise was surprising and welcome. Among the dozens of issues a candidate can mention, this candidate chose bike lanes. Perhaps the world is changing.
This November, the David Suzuki Foundation launched a campaign to have protected bike lanes built in Ontario cities. It’s all part of our effort to help folks spend more time outdoors, reduce traffic congestion, clear the air and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Our first goal is to get a protected bike lane on the main east-west corridor of Canada’s largest city: Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue. We think it could be a game-changer not just for Toronto, but for municipalities across the country.
Toronto already has lanes on shorter streets, such as Adelaide in the downtown core, and they’re proving very popular. Since bike lanes were installed on Adelaide in 2014, the number of cyclists has nearly tripled, from 550 to 1,575 over an eight-hour period. Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, the city’s cycling infrastructure manager, says people on bikes now represent nearly half (43 per cent) of traffic on this street.
Now it's time to take this successful experiment and run it right across the city with a “cycle track” — or protected bicycle lane — on Bloor-Danforth.
Along with our local partner, Cycle Toronto, we are optimistic the project will come to fruition. The new federal government has promised billions of dollars for “green infrastructure,” a category in which bike lanes should easily fit.
The Bloor route is backed by six local residents’ associations. And city staff are recommending approval of a pilot lane along Bloor, to be built in spring 2016.
As well, the project should garner support from drivers, especially elderly ones. The U.S. advocacy group People for Bikes says protected lanes reduce driving risks. Other experts point out that, by clearly delineating spaces for cyclists and automobiles, the lanes make road use more predictable and safer for everyone.
The Bloor proposal comes in the midst of a growing belief that reliance on private motorized vehicles needs to be sharply curtailed. In Ontario, cars are now “the largest source of transport emissions,” according to the environmental commissioner. The growing popularity of cycling in Canadian cities shows that, when you give people the opportunity to leave their cars at home, they will.
A Bloor bike lane is a great idea — one that could spark similar projects across Canada. But not everyone at Toronto City Council is embracing it. That’s where you come in. Take a moment to express this to decision makers by filling out the Bloor Loves Bikes pledge, which can be found at www.cycleto.ca.
If we’re going to address climate change and improve our air, we need to give folks lots of alternatives to the gas-powered automobile. Bikes are among the best.