Good news! Toronto City Councilor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34 Don Valley East) has presented a plan for a network of curbed bike lanes along two main routes running from north to south and east to west. Currently chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, Minnan-Wong is a vocal right-wing councillor who previously did not support bike lane proposals, although he attributes this to former Mayor David Miller’s administration’s lack of appropriate planning for them. He is one of the people who brought the phrase “war on cars” to the forefront in Toronto in a May 22, 2009 Toronto Star editorial stating that, “The city’s undeclared but very active war on cars is really a war on people[…]” That was before he picked up cycling and, believe it or not, his opinion has since changed greatly.
This may not be the best time of year to get into a discussion on cycling in the city, as many people lock up their bikes over the winter months. Yet this news is recent, and getting into it now allows for plenty of time to have the proposal considered at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee and passed. Minnan-Wong is optimistic that, if it gets approved, construction could start by the end of 2011. His initial proposal for a network of curbed bike lanes was actually made last year, but it met rejection at committee. And to be fair, it may meet rejection again.
But the declaration of good news is warranted because of Mayor Rob Ford’s response to the proposal. Ford expressed “no opposition” to the plan as it was presented. The man who famously said of cyclists, “Every year we have dozens of people who get hit by cars or trucks […] but it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” is not completely averse to the concept of making cycling in the city safer. The man who argued that “roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks,” is willing to look at putting precious taxpayer dollars toward safely sharing roads with bikes. Furthermore, the proposal is coming from a councillor who is in Ford’s inner circle and once upon a time opposed developments for cycling in the city. Until he became a cyclist and understood the need for protected lanes — an ideology shift based on practical experience that proves cyclists aren’t just a group of bike-riding “pinkos” as Don Cherry will have people believe. That’s a pretty exciting, progressive development, regardless of how sad that statement may be.
The plan needs to be sorted out financially, of course, but as Minnan-Wong points out, “putting in curbs and getting out a bucket of paint doesn’t cost a lot of money.” Separated bike lanes mean adding a second curb about a metre from current curbs, so cyclists can enjoy a barrier between their lanes and those of the cars and trucks on the roads. Vehicles will park to the left of bike lane, adding another block from traffic. Both Montreal and Vancouver have separated bike paths. City of Toronto safety reports have been recommending these paths as a way to improve road safety for years, and a number of groups have been advocating them as well. The Toronto Cyclists’ Union, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union, the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, the York Quay Neighbourhood Association, and the Toronto Island Community Association have signed a petition in support of Minnan-Wang’s plan.
In Denmark, protected bike lanes sparked a 20 per cent rise in cycling and a 10 per cent decrease in motor vehicle collisions, proof that separated bike lanes work to improve road safety and encourage cycling. If more people park their cars and break out the bikes, traffic congestion can decrease. Many cities, like those mentioned above, aim to improve cycling infrastructure to attract more cyclists and deter drivers in order to tackle congestion, especially in downtown areas. Toronto should do the same.
Minnan-Wong’s proposed network will reach to Queen’s Quay, and run along Sherbourne, Wellesley, St. George, Beverley, and John Streets, all of which already have bike lanes. A two-way lane would be constructed on Richmond, which would probably require removing one of its four lanes of traffic, but would connect the paths. Judging by the number of bikes around campus now and in more favourable weather conditions, this is a plan that will benefit many students on the St. George campus. What can you do? Email councillors, email the mayor, and sign a petition to let them know you want to save this proposal from the pain of rejection, and save yourself from the pain of accidents.
