A video of cars driving across designated bike lanes in Toronto’s east end has caused a stir amongst the city’s cyclists.
The dual bike lanes over Cherry Street Bridge, which crosses the Polson Slip, allow cyclists to cross in both directions and are sectioned off by a metal barrier. Nonetheless, drivers can be seen mistaking the bike lane for a regular car lane.
A Twitter video, taken at night time, shows cyclists having to dismount and walk their bikes as multiple vehicles appear to be driving down the bike lane, head on. The drivers seem to be unaware of their error.
Blue and green lines mark the bike lane, though there are no barriers stopping cars from driving on it at the entry to the bridge.
.@TO_Cycling_Ped @biketo @BikewaysTO @TheBikingLawyer @BicycleMayorTO
— “begging for twigs” (@wardFORpeople) July 9, 2023
How is this possible?? pic.twitter.com/7hmn4qPTrx
Some Twitter users expressed frustration with the city’s motorists, whilst others blamed a lack of clear signage for their blunder.
This is merely the latest incident in an increasingly heated stand-off between cyclists and motorists as they grapple for space on Toronto’s heavily congested roads.
Waterfront Toronto, the construction company responsible for the Cherry Street Bridge, told Now Toronto in an email statement that “the construction manager will be adding additional signs for motorists traveling westbound on Commissioners Street,” in order to mitigate confusion amongst motorists and cyclists.
