The City of Toronto reports that downtown bike lanes along Simcoe, Richmond and Adelaide Streets have dramatically increased the number of cyclists using those routes. Of those that responded to City surveys, approximately 43% of the ridership was new.
The City has been conducting pilot projects on these streets and needs to decide whether to make the new cycling infrastructure permanent, and whether to extend it eastward.
Key highlights of the results are
- cycling volumes tripled;
- traffic still flows like before; and
- the lanes are popular, but some concerns have arisen, including some common problems related to drivers and delivery trucks parked in cycle lanes, or drivers being concerned about turning right across a cycle lane; and significant negative impacts were reported by 44% of survey respondents with disabilities, who use mobility devices or service dogs.
As our office has its fair share of cyclists, it comes as no surprise to us that when you build safe infrastructure for cyclists, it draws them out. The city now has the opportunity to make these permanent, and we hope they do, with any necessary adjustments to address the concerns.
Cycling infrastructure contributes to the overall sustainability of cities world over. Cities committed to reducing green house gas emissions have been taking the lead through their transportation planning efforts and environmental goals, while having the added benefit of improving the health of their citizens, by offering safe active transportation options.
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