Former Toronto mayor David Crombie, former chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat and prominent urbanist Richard Florida are among those calling on Toronto Mayor John Tory and his city council allies to drop their opposition to new bike lanes on north Yonge St.

They released a letter Friday with John Filion, councillor for the Willowdale area, urging council next week not to squander “a once in generation opportunity to redesign a six-lane thoroughfare into a truly urban main street.”

“Reducing one lane of traffic in each direction allows for expanded sidewalks, greenery, and more space for patios and public life. Bike lanes are part of the package, but they aren’t the impetus,” states the joint letter.

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“A cars-vs.-people lens doesn’t help us move forward as a city. We need to imagine a brighter future for Yonge Street North that moves beyond bike lanes and towards a bolder vision of who streets are for: people.”

City staff recommended, with Filion’s support, a long-formed $51-million plan to remake Yonge between Sheppard and Finch Aves.

The aim is to transform the North York wall of condominiums, narrow sidewalks and six lanes of traffic into a destination by removing one lane of vehicle traffic in each direction and installing protected bike lanes and extra-wide sidewalks, better pedestrian crossings and a landscaped centre median.

Tory and his executive committee, however, recommended council leave all the vehicle lanes in place and move the bike lanes to nearby Beecroft Rd., citing fears of increased gridlock for commuters — most of whom live outside Toronto. Streetscape improvements could still be done albeit with narrower sidewalks in many places, Tory said.

City staff said moving the bike lanes to Beecroft could add $20 million to the project’s cost. Councillor David Shiner, who devised the alternative plan, said the surcharge could be reduced to $9 million by replacing protected bike lanes in three sections with sharrows — road markings reminding motorists to share the road with cyclists.

That thinking is wrong, outdated and will harm the city, say signatories of the letter.

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“The future of Yonge North — and the quality of life for its residents and workers — shouldn’t come down to the question of bike lanes on Beecroft or bike lanes on Yonge, nor should it come down to a one-minute increase in vehicle travel times,” they wrote.

“North York Centre will look very different in 50 years, and it deserves a vibrant, safe, pedestrian- and business-friendly street to help transform it into a true urban neighbourhood.”

Other signatories include architect Jack Diamond; urban designer Ken Greenberg; Anne Golden, chair of the Ryerson City Building Institute; Gil Penalosa, chair of 8 80 Cities; urban planner Joe Berridge; Richard Joy, executive director of the Urban Land Institute Toronto; former Toronto city chief planner Paul Bedford; Richard Peddie, the former chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment; Matthew Blackett, publisher and editor of Spacing Magazine; and Cherise Burda, executive director of Ryerson City Building Institute.