Bikeway construction on The Esplanade draws community controversy

Some downtown residents accidental they are opposed to a bikeway connected The Esplanade but the metropolis of Toronto says much than fractional of respondents it consulted 4 years agone said they supported the project.

At a quality league Wednesday, nonmigratory Sharon Danley said the metropolis indispensable support the needs of each residents successful caput erstwhile it comes to its motorcycle lane plans. The quality league was organized by the Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization, which says it represents 58,000 residents successful 3 wards.

"Bike lanes restrict road space," Danley said. "Bike lanes person turned streets into parking lots, with residents incapable to shop, get their kids to events, and earnestly interaction exigency services and Wheel-Trans."

Danley said the motorcycle lanes are besides having an interaction connected seniors and radical with disabilities, forcing those who instrumentality the autobus to locomotion further than earlier and making Wheels-Trans pickup "unduly risky." Vehicles cannot parkland adjacent capable to the curb to widen their ramps over the sidewalk owed to the bikeway and radical successful wheelchairs are affected, she said.

"Bike lanes prioritize able-bodied young antheral cyclists portion ignoring seniors and the disabled who can't cycle. Yet we are expected to beryllium an accessible city," Danley said.

Bikeway being constructed arsenic portion of roadworthy work, metropolis says

In a quality merchandise connected Wednesday, the metropolis said it awarded a declaration successful March 2024 to physique a bikeway connected The Esplanade betwixt eastbound of Yonge Street and Market Street arsenic portion of h2o main, sewer and roadworthy work. 

Public consultation connected the task took spot from October 2019 to March 2021, the metropolis said. The consultation introduced the task to the assemblage and helped the metropolis to place needs and priorities, it added.

A full of 74 per cent of respondents said they hold oregon powerfully hold that the bikeway would conscionable the goals of the project, which were to amended information for everyone, make walking, cycling and taking transit much charismatic and support entree to section and citywide destinations, according to the city. 

The metropolis said crews are continuing to enactment on The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection Project. Once completed, a two-way rhythm track on The Esplanade volition tally from Bayview to Lower Sherbourne Street, from Lower Sherbourne Street to Lower Jarvis, and westbound of George Street to westbound of Scott Street. 

The metropolis says it volition past upgrade the bikeways connected The Esplanade, from westbound of George Street to Berkeley Street, to guarantee they "more seamlessly integrate with the streetscape."

In a March 10 operation notice, the metropolis said there volition beryllium roadworthy and sidewalk restrictions wrong the enactment portion but: "Access for exigency vehicles volition beryllium maintained astatine each times."

The metropolis said the contractor volition notify residents of immoderate impermanent restrictions to their driveway access, and if a spot has 2 entrances, 1 volition beryllium kept unfastened astatine each times.

Margaret Samuel, a nonmigratory of the ward and a lawyer, said The Esplanade betwixt Yonge and Jarvis streets is simply a "vital" secondary artery successful the city, but the "economic viability" of many adjacent businesses, including St. Lawrence Market, is being affected by the bikeway construction.

Samuel questioned whether the metropolis tin proceed with the bikeway fixed Ontario's Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which came into effect successful 2024, says cities request provincial government approval for caller motorcycle lanes that region a lane of traffic. 

According to the city, projects with contracts awarded earlier the caller rules kicked successful tin proceed without restrictions.

"Because this declaration was awarded earlier the rules took effect, the City tin determination guardant with the Esplanade-Mill Street Connection task arsenic approved by Toronto City Council," the metropolis said.

The Esplanade connects with existing network: advocate

Michael Longfield, enforcement manager of Cycle Toronto, a charity that says it works to marque Toronto a healthier cycling city, said helium does not hold with the residents' appraisal of the bikeway.

"This is the benignant of secondary roadworthy that successful mentation Bill 212 would beryllium supporting," helium said.

"The Esplanade is technically classified arsenic a collector. So again, if we can't enactment a bikeway connected the collector, oregon connected the Esplanade, which is beside a parkland that has tons of destinations, tons of apartments, tons of radical who unrecorded there, I benignant of question wherever tin the metropolis enactment bikeways?" helium said.

"When we're looking astatine bikes arsenic portion of a city's proscription network, you privation to marque definite that motorcycle lanes are connecting to destinations," Longfield said, adding The Esplanade is an illustration of conscionable that.

"You bash request a web of connected bikeways to marque cycling a amended enactment for much people."