Demolishing bike lanes in Toronto will cost the taxpayer $48 million, a city report says.
The report released Wednesday comes days after a thousand cyclists gathered in Christie Pitts to protest the introduction of Bill 212, which was tabled by the Ford government on Oct. 21 and calls for the removal of major bike lanes on Bloor St., University Ave., and Yonge St.
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“The removal of existing bike lanes will be a complex project that will be challenging to implement within a short-time period, due to planning, design and construction requirements,”the report said.
If the bill passes, the city projects a lost investment of $27 million, as well as “unknown” additional costs.
The report also says removing current bike lanes would increase travel times for drivers due to construction that would be necessary to re-do the roads.
“Restoring vehicle lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street would take additional staff resources and time to redesign and reconstruct these roads, and would negatively impact driver travel time and businesses during construction, with likely minimal improvements in travel time once lanes are removed,” it said.
The city anticipates that in order to remove southbound bike lanes installed less than a year ago on University Ave., it would have to be restricted to a single southbound car lane for approximately nine months. This delay does not account for disruptions to the northbound lanes due to planned road works on University Ave. between College St. and Dundas St. in 2025.
Moreover, reducing the city’s bike lane infrastructure would limit its ability to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2040, the report continued, adding that it will have negative implications for public health and jeopardize the economic benefits of “active transportation.”
SAFETY IS A MAJOR CONCERN
Since 2015, 28 cyclists have been killed on Toronto roads and 380 have been seriously injured.
According to the report, 68 per cent of these incidents took place on streets without sufficient biking infrastructure.
It also references a study by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) that found a significant correlation between the existence of bike lanes and collision rates.
The study analyzed motor vehicle and cyclist collisions before and after the implementation of fully separated bike lanes in Toronto between 2000 and 2016 and found that there were 2.57 times more people cycling on the streets after bike lanes were installed but a 38 per cent drop in collision rates on bike lanes following their implementation.
There was also a 35 per cent decrease in collision rates in surrounding areas after bike lanes were added, “suggesting additional safety benefits,” it concluded.
Mayor Chow told reporters on Wednesday that the bike lanes are part of the city’s cycling network and have been planned for many years, prior to the report’s release
“Ripping up our roads will make congestion worse, especially during the time that you are ripping it up,” Chow said at a press conference, according to CBC News.
“It’s costly and it will make our roads less safe for cyclists. And at this point, the province’s plan is arbitrary because they need to look at our numbers,” she continued, adding that she wants to work collaboratively with the provincial government but believes it should respect the city’s decisions.
Now Toronto reached out to Premier Ford’s office for a comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
