Toronto Star

Keep Jarvis safe for bikes

- Dave Meslin is a co-editor of Local Motion: The Art of Civic Engagement in Toronto, published by Coach House Press in 2010. DAVE MESLIN

If you look closely into the eyes of someone riding a bicycle on Toronto’s main streets, you’ll often see a familiar glint of fear. Navigating the streets can be a stressful experience, with cyclists often squeezed between parked cars and fastmoving vehicles.

On Oct. 26, 2010, you could feel an additional sense of fear as Rob Ford had just been swept to power, triggering a collective sense of apprehensi­on about what this would mean for cyclists. To the surprise of many, the Ford administra­tion has pushed ahead with an array of pro-bike initiative­s, including an ambitious retrofit of the Sherbourne bike lanes and a network of off-road paths designed to connect suburban cyclists through parkland. Sadly, these accomplish­ments are overshadow­ed by the arbitrary and unnecessar­y removal of the Jarvis Street bike lanes, scheduled for mid-November.

In 2001, Mel Lastman introduced the Toronto Bike Plan recommendi­ng a 500-kilometre network of on-street bike lanes. Designed as a 10-year plan, we only achieved 24 per cent of that goal. While the plan has been implemente­d at a snail’s pace, cyclists have always found solace in the fact that we’re moving in the right direction. That changed in 2011 when we began moving backward. It was the first year that Toronto had a net reduction of onstreet bike lanes. While New York City, Montreal and Vancouver were adding new bike lanes, we were removing them. With the proposed removal of the Jarvis lanes, 2012 will also see a net loss of bike lanes — the second year in a row.

This month city council will have an opportunit­y to preserve the Jarvis bike lanes. Here are eight reasons why councillor­s should leave the road as it is: 1. Any major change to our transporta­tion network requires public consultati­on. Drivers, cyclists, pedestrian­s, local businesses and schools all deserve a fair process and the opportunit­y to participat­e. When council voted in 2010 to add the bike lanes, the decision followed months of community meetings, com- mittee meetings at city hall and a full environmen­tal assessment (EA) — one of the most rigorous forms of consultati­on. Yet last year’s decision to undo the entire EA process was made without any consultati­on. The item never appeared on a committee agenda, and the public never had a chance to submit feedback. When Councillor John Parker moved the motion to remove the lanes, he was asked by Councillor Mike Layton if he would support public consultati­on. “I’ve got no quarrel with that,” he replied.

2. Jarvis is safer. Overall collision rates have dropped by 23 per cent, including an 89-per-cent drop in pedestrian collisions.

3. During the last election, the Toronto

Toronto will be known as the only major city on the continent that is ripping out existing bike lanes

Star asked mayoral candidates if they would remove the Jarvis lanes. Ford’s answer was predictabl­y consistent with his cost-cutting message: “No, it would be a waste of money to remove it if it’s already there.” The price tag is now estimated at a quarter-million dollars.

4. The refurbishe­d Sherbourne bike lanes (originally painted in 1996) are wonderful, but they offer little to those who live on Jarvis, work on Jarvis, or go to school on Jarvis. Many cyclists are also uncomforta­ble riding on Sherbourne at night, due to higher levels of crime.

5. In an ironic twist, the full cost of removing the Jarvis bike lanes is being deducted from the cycling infrastruc­ture capital budget — reducing our ability to create new lanes.

6. Downtown’s west end has countless north-south routes for cyclists to use safely such as Shaw, Grace or Markham. But in the east end there are very few north-south side streets, so cyclists depend on arterials like Jarvis.

7. Removing the bike lanes is likely to increase congestion. Drivers can currently drive in four lanes without any interferen­ce from cyclists. Without the bike lanes, cyclists and drivers will be sharing the curb lanes, reducing auto-only lanes to three.

8. Toronto’s reputation is at stake. As cities across North America (including the GTA) are adding new bike lanes, Toronto will be known as the only major city on the continent that is ripping out existing infrastruc­ture.

If a handful of councillor­s want to get rid of the Jarvis bike lanes, I’ve got no quarrel with that. But they should let the community participat­e in a proper decision-making process that looks at data and seeks staff expertise and neighbourh­ood input.

This is not a “left vs. right” issue. It’s simply about road safety, respecting tax dollars and respecting the democratic process.

 ?? TANNIS TOOHEY/TORONTO STAR ?? During the last election campaign, candidate Rob Ford said that removing the Jarvis bike lanes ’would be a waste of money.’
TANNIS TOOHEY/TORONTO STAR During the last election campaign, candidate Rob Ford said that removing the Jarvis bike lanes ’would be a waste of money.’
 ?? RENE JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR ?? Accidents are down since the Jarvis bike lanes were installed.
RENE JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR Accidents are down since the Jarvis bike lanes were installed.
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