I have spoken about this on a number of occasions with Councillor Holyday. He voted against the Bloor bike lanes, and we share many concerns.
Let me be very clear – I am not ideological about bike lanes. Bike lanes make sense in some places and don't make sense in others.
I should add that I am an avid cyclist and have cycled extensively in the area for years, so I’m very familiar with what is needed for cyclists to commute safely in the area.
Key objectives of sound transportation:
In my view, the objectives of sound transportation plans should include
getting as many people to where they need to go by all forms of transportation
as quickly, safely, and
cost effectively as possible, while
minimizing the impact on the environment and
supporting our local economy. Plans should be based on evidence.
Unfortunately, when deciding to replace 2 car lanes with bike lanes on Bloor, the city was clearly pursuing different objectives than those above.
My concerns about the bike lanes:
1. They have had a predictably devastating impact on traffic flow with limited benefit.
- According to the city, before the Bloor bike lanes were installed, every day there were ~25,500 trips by car (88%), ~3,500 by pedestrians (12%) and ~87 by bike (0.3%).
- Eliminating half of the lanes used by the ~25,500 cars/day has had a predictably negative impact on traffic flow and isn’t justified in my view given the very limited demand from cyclists (~87/day).
- Some have suggested that the bike lanes would encourage people to use bikes instead of cars, and therefore reduce car traffic, but past experience proves this doesn’t happen - City analysis shows that after bike lanes were installed on Bloor east of us, cycling trips increased by 25%. In Etobicoke this would translate to bike trips increasing from ~87/day to ~109/day. Even if cycling trips increased by 300%, trips by bike would grow from ~87 to ~348 per day, still leaving 25,000+ cars on the road.
2. They risk our safety in emergencies.
- For those on a bike, a separated bike lane is clearly safer, but I know from my own cycling that there are safe alternate routes for bikes on streets close to Bloor.
- On the other hand, the congestion on Bloor at peak times makes it very difficult for emergency vehicles to get through. Some first responders have told me that paramedics or firefighters may not be able to respond to a fire or medical emergency in time which could result in catastrophic consequences.
3. They have increased emissions and harmed the environment.
- As I noted above, the bike lanes won’t meaningfully reduce the number of cars. Cars that used to move quickly along Bloor are now frequently stopped in traffic or idling. This is increasing emissions and harming the environment.
4. Local businesses have expressed that business has declined as customers avoid the congestion.
My position:
The city should not have replaced two car lanes with the Bloor bike lanes as they don’t achieve the key objectives of transportation planning & have caused great harm.
In my view, the City should:
1. Consult properly with our community on existing and proposed bike lanes.
2. Move the Bloor bike lanes to more suitable streets.
3. Future plans should support the key objectives of sound transportation, including
getting as many people to where they need to go as quickly, safely and cost effectively as possible while
minimizing the impact on the environment and
supporting our local economy.
I will continue to advocate with the city.
To provide input I encourage you to contact your local city councillor.
