Bicycle lanes may face removal from a main street in Toronto.

UPDATE: On July 13, 2011, Toronto city councillors voted to remove the bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street as well as Birchmount Rd. and Pharmacy Ave. The cost of removal will be approximately $400,000. Read the article. 

City councillors have voted to spend more than $400,000 to erase bike lanes on Jarvis St. downtown as well as Birchmount Rd. and Pharmacy Ave. in Scarborough.

One of Toronto's most beautiful streets has been completely transformed due to the rise of the automobile. Jarvis Street, once narrow and lined with trees, was widened to five automobile lanes to accomodate increased motor traffic. City staff recently called for streetscape improvements to be made, and bicycle lanes were later considered based on efforts by the city's cycling advocacy groups.

Despite being a highly controversial issue, bicycle lanes were implemented on Jarvis Street last year. One lane of automobile traffic was removed, shrinking the street from five lanes to four. One of the largest concerns regarding the bicycle lanes were potential impacts on automobile traffic and flow. A staff report showed no significant impacts on automobile traffic, while cycling rates have tripled after the addition of the bicycle lanes.

However, despite 1000 cyclists relying on these lanes each day, Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford wants them removed. Interestingly, during his 2010 election campaign, Rob Ford is quoted  as saying:

“It would be a waste of money to remove it if it’s already there, that is unless there was a huge public outcry in the area.”

Rob Ford describes this 'huge public outcry' as many residents calling and demanding the bicycle lanes be removed. Yet a motion that was put forward requiring proper community consultations before any changes were made to Jarvis Street was voted against. Indeed, there appears to be a large public outcry from both sides, as Toronto Cyclists' Union (TCU) have put forward an ambitious attempt to save the bicycle lanes.

Over 1000 petition signatures express support of keeping the bicycle lanes, and a video has been created by the TCU, illustrating the importance of the lanes for cyclists. Removing the bicycle lanes would initiate the "war on the bike", as stated by TCU President Andrea Garcia. The final decision to remove or keep the bicycle lanes will be made on July 12 or 13, 2011.

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area has some of the worst traffic congestion in North America. A regional transportation plan, The Big Move, has been created to eliminate gridlock and increase trips taken by walking, cycling, and transit. If Canada's largest urban area is striving to become more sustainable, is the removal of these successful bicycle lanes the step in the right direction?

About Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford

Rob Ford is Toronto's 64th Mayor. He ran as Mayor on a nonpartisan basis, as required in Toronto, and is affiliated with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Highlights of Ford's transportation plan for the City of Toronto include subway expansion, off-road cycling infrastructure, and ending the “war on the car” by vowing to remove some downtown streetcar lines and replace them with buses. Read more.