Bikeway construction on The Esplanade draws community controversy
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Some downtown residents say they are opposed to a bikeway on The Esplanade but the city of Toronto says more than half of respondents it consulted four years ago said they supported the project.
At a news conference Wednesday, resident Sharon Danley said the city must keep the needs of all residents in mind when it comes to its bike lane plans. The news conference was organized by the Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization, which says it represents 58,000 residents in three wards.
"Bike lanes restrict road space," Danley said. "Bike lanes have turned streets into parking lots, with residents unable to shop, get their kids to events, and seriously impact emergency services and Wheel-Trans."
Danley said the bike lanes are also having an impact on seniors and people with disabilities, forcing those who take the bus to walk further than before and making Wheels-Trans pickup "unduly risky." Vehicles cannot park close enough to the curb to extend their ramps over the sidewalk due to the bikeway and people in wheelchairs are affected, she said.
"Bike lanes prioritize able-bodied young male cyclists while ignoring seniors and the disabled who can't cycle. Yet we are supposed to be an accessible city," Danley said.
Bikeway being constructed as part of road work, city says
In a news release on Wednesday, the city said it awarded a contract in March 2024 to build a bikeway on The Esplanade between east of Yonge Street and Market Street as part of water main, sewer and road work.
Public consultation on the project took place from October 2019 to March 2021, the city said. The consultation introduced the project to the community and helped the city to identify needs and priorities, it added.
A total of 74 per cent of respondents said they agree or strongly agree that the bikeway would meet the goals of the project, which were to improve safety for everyone, make walking, cycling and taking transit more attractive and maintain access to local and citywide destinations, according to the city.
The city said crews are continuing to work on The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection Project. Once completed, a two-way cycle track on The Esplanade will run from Bayview to Lower Sherbourne Street, from Lower Sherbourne Street to Lower Jarvis, and west of George Street to west of Scott Street.
The city says it will then upgrade the bikeways on The Esplanade, from west of George Street to Berkeley Street, to ensure they "more seamlessly integrate with the streetscape."
In a March 10 construction notice, the city said there will be road and sidewalk restrictions within the work zone but: "Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times."
The city said the contractor will notify residents of any temporary restrictions to their driveway access, and if a property has two entrances, one will be kept open at all times.
Margaret Samuel, a resident of the ward and a lawyer, said The Esplanade between Yonge and Jarvis streets is a "vital" secondary artery in the city, but the "economic viability" of many nearby businesses, including St. Lawrence Market, is being affected by the bikeway construction.
Samuel questioned whether the city can proceed with the bikeway given Ontario's Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which came into effect in 2024, says cities need provincial government approval for new bike lanes that remove a lane of traffic.
According to the city, projects with contracts awarded before the new rules kicked in can continue without restrictions.
"Because this contract was awarded before the rules took effect, the City can move forward with the Esplanade-Mill Street Connection project as approved by Toronto City Council," the city said.
The Esplanade connects with existing network: advocate
Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, a charity that says it works to make Toronto a healthier cycling city, said he does not agree with the residents' assessment of the bikeway.
"This is the kind of secondary road that in theory Bill 212 would be supporting," he said.
"The Esplanade is technically classified as a collector. So again, if we can't put a bikeway on the collector, or on the Esplanade, which is beside a park that has lots of destinations, lots of apartments, lots of people who live there, I kind of question where can the city put bikeways?" he said.
"When we're looking at bikes as part of a city's transportation network, you want to make sure that bike lanes are connecting to destinations," Longfield said, adding The Esplanade is an example of just that.
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