Toronto workshop to consider bike lanes on the entire Yonge corridor
Posted October 2, 2013 10:04 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Could Yonge Street – the longest road in the world and a major Toronto artery for motorists – become a key thoroughfare for the city’s cyclists?
Cycle Toronto, city councillors and city staff will discuss putting bike lanes on the entire Toronto-area Yonge corridor — from Lake Ontario to Steeles Avenue — during a Wednesday-evening workshop.
“It’s incumbent upon us to look at how to make things safer,” Coun. Josh Matlow told CityNews on Wednesday.
“I have cycled on Yonge Street and I get it. The car doors get very close to you. There’s also a problem with deliveries and other vehicles that block the curb lane. Safety is a completely reasonable concern, but if bike lanes on Yonge aren’t feasible, are there secondary corridors?”
Matlow said he and fellow councillors Karen Stintz and Kristyn Wong-Tam were asked by Cycle Toronto to participate in the workshop because all of their wards include Yonge Street.
The thoroughfare, like many others, is often congested and not only during rush how. Cycle Toronto says bikes could be the answer to overcrowding on the Yonge subway as well as a way to reduce congestion.
“Everyone needs to get to work and get home, safely and on time,” Matlow said.
However, Matlow said, there is no commitment from the city as to whether or not there will be bike lanes.
There are currently bike lanes on a small stretch of the world’s longest street, between Front Street and Queens Quay.
The councillors are all expected to attend the workshop at Northern District Public Library, near Yonge and Eglinton Avenue.
The city officially opened bike lanes on Sherbourne Street in June, after painting over lanes on Jarvis Street.
The city is also upgrading existing bike lanes on Wellesley Street west to Queen’s Park, and the work will continue on Hoskin Avenue.
Other upcoming projects:
• West Toronto Railpath — construction to begin in 2015;
• East Don Trail between the north end of Charles Sauriol Conservation Area, the Lower Don Trail System and Gatineau Corridor Trail — will be completed in 2014.
Click here for more on the workshop.
