Bicycle lanes in Toronto

Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, Apr 1999 by Macbeth, Andrew G

THE INTRODUCTION OF BICYCLE LANES IN TORONTO AND OTHER NORTH AMERICAN CITIES OVER RECENT YEARS MARKS AN IMPORTANT TREND. PERHAPS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NORTH AMERICA SINCE THE INVENTION OF THE AUTOMOBILE, ROAD SPACE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES IS BEING REALLOCATED TO BICYCLES.

IN 1995, TORONTO WAS NAMED "The Number 1 Cycling City in North America" by Bicycling Magazine. The award, given only once before (in 1990), is highly coveted by cycling communities across Canada and the United States. The magazine attributed Toronto's success to an "impressive blend of programs, ridership and natural amenities," including its expanding network of onstreet bicycle lanes. These lanes, initially put on residential streets, are now being installed mostly on downtown arterial roads carrying typically 15,000 to 20,000 motor vehicles/day. They have been added to an already congested road network to improve the safety of cyclists and to encourage cycling.

By careful attention to detailed design issues, they result in relatively minor reductions in road capacity for motor vehicles. In many cases, two-way, four-lane roads are being converted to two-lane roads (for motor vehicles) with a bicycle lane in each direction and curbside parking on one side or both, depending on the road's width. At signalized intersections, where parking is prohibited, an extra lane for left-turning traffic is usually provided to minimize reductions in traffic capacity.

Some 50 kilometers (km) (30 miles) of bicycle lanes have been installed in central Toronto, with additional lanes in a few suburban locations. The introduction of bicycle lanes in Toronto and other North American cities over recent years marks an important trend. Perhaps for the first time in North America since the invention of the automobile, road space for motor vehicles is being reallocated to bicycles.

HISTORY

In 1975 the Toronto City Cycling Committee was established by the City Council to promote cycling and cycling safety. It comprises citizen activists and city councillors and is serviced by a number of full-time staff with assistance from many volunteers.

The first bicycle lane was installed in Toronto in 1979, at the request of the cycling committee, on Poplar Plains Road, a narrow residential street that had just been converted to one-way operation. With the elimination of one direction of traffic, the road now had sufficient width to accommodate a bicycle lane, which narrowed the road for motor vehicles, helping to discourage wrong-way traffic, while assisting cyclists. Queens Quay, the next street chosen (1990), was a downtown arterial road near Lake Ontario that carried its heaviest traffic volumes on summer weekends. It already was used by many cyclists (up to 5,OOO/day) as part of the Martin Goodman Trail, a mainly off-street recreational trail across Toronto's waterfront. These lanes improved the continuity of the trail through the city's downtown area.

In 1991, a bicycle lane was installed on Russell Hill Road, a one-way street adjacent to Poplar Plains Road, that provided for traffic flow in the opposite direction. In the same year, bicycle lanes were put on each side of the Bloor Street Viaduct, a bridge carrying 55,000 motor vehicles/ day. One of the six motor-vehicle lanes was removed to make room for the bicycle lanes, which now carry approximately 1,600 bicycles/day (800/direction). In total, these early facilities accounted for about 8 km (5 miles) of bicycle lanes.

Bicycle traffic volumes reported in this feature are year-round average weekday volumes. Summer cycling levels are several times higher than winter levels. Toronto gets moderate amounts of snow in the winter months [averaging 125 centimeters (cm) or 50 inches (in.) annually]. Snowplowing operations on streets begin when 10 cm (4 in.) of snow accumulates. Streets with bicycle lanes receive the same priority for snowplowing as arterial roads (most are in fact on arterial roads anyway). When plowing roads with bicycle lanes, snowplow operators attempt to clear at least 1 meter (m) of each bicycle lane.

CURRENT PROGRAM

By 1993, bicycle traffic entering and leaving the downtown area of the city appeared to be growing and had become a noticeable presence (about 17,000 bicycles/weekday), while motor-vehicle traffic volumes remained static. Bicycles constituted about 3 percent of all vehicles on downtown streets. About 15 percent of all reported collisions resulting in injuries involved cyclists.

With a strong, official plan in support of cycling, relatively high levels of cycling activity and significant safety concerns, the time was right to embark on a bicycle-lane program. Between 1993 and 1998 inclusive, some 40 km (25 miles) of lanes were installed.

In the central area of Toronto, measuring approximately 10 km eastwest by 5 km northsouth, there are now four eastwest routes with bicycle lanes and two northsouth. The eastwest routes total about 14 km in length. With bicycle lanes on each side of the street this results in 28 km of bike lanes. About 9 km of northsouth routes exist, with bicycle lanes on each side of the street (18 km of bike lanes).