Cycle Toronto has taken the politics out of its name. But that’s not stopping the former Toronto Bike Union from seeking political recourse for city plans it says will inhibit cycling on three important streets.

The Toronto group that represents 2,400 paid members is asking Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley to review Toronto’s plans to alter cycling facilities on Jarvis, John and Front Sts.

The call comes a day after an Ontario coroner’s report recommended 14 improvements to cycling safety, including a “complete streets” approach that would build more room on the roads for bikes.

Cycle Toronto claims the city’s failure to consult with the public and its use of botched bike counts give the province grounds to overrule council decisions that will create a less safe cycling environment.

“We’ve got good cases in all three areas,” said Jared Kolb of Cycle Toronto.

When the city approved removing the bike lanes on Jarvis to return the fifth reversible centre lane to cars, it failed to do the prescribed public consultations, say the cyclists.

That work is supposed to be complete in the fall, once physically separated bike lanes on parallel Sherbourne St. are completed.

Cycle Toronto is calling the make-over of Front St. at Union Station “bike hostile.” It says the city plans to paint sharrows in a lane used by taxis. The wide arrows show cyclists where to ride safely on the road and remind motorists to share the space. But Kolb says it’s a disaster.

“We all know what happens when you put (together) cabs and cyclists that are swerving in and out of a lay-by. Collisions go up,” he said.

The cycling group is also concerned about the lack of prominence at Union Station for the Bixi bike-sharing program; plans are to move the Bixi stands there to neighbouring York St. and Bay St.

“For us, it’s about visibility,” said Kolb.

Toronto does, however, plan to enhance its bike facilities at Union with a bigger, better-equipped secure bike station on the north side of the station near Front, while maintaining the existing bike station on York St.

Plans for John St. call for widened sidewalks and narrower car lanes to allow a café culture to blossom. But Cycle Toronto says that leaves no room for bikes on the only north-south connection from Beverley St. in the downtown. It’s a decision the cyclists say is based on flawed data.

The city’s environmental assessment cited statistics showing that 2 per cent of traffic on John St. consisted of bikes. But unofficial counts by bike activists put bikes at 30 to 50 per cent of the traffic.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“The (environment) ministry is currently reviewing the requests carefully to determine if further actions are needed and if the city should undertake any additional work,” said an email from Bradley’s spokeswoman.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who chairs Toronto’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees the city’s bike plan, is away and unavailable for comment, said his office. Committee vice-chair David Shiner did not return the Star’s call.

Read more about: