The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, at their October 10, 2008 meeting, voted 3-2 against putting bike lanes on Annette Street between Jane Street and Runnymede Road. This was done against the recommendations of city staff, and counter to feedback from community consultations. What can we, as cyclists, do about this?

If Toronto Council goes along with the committee recommendation, the 700-metre stretch of Annette will be painted with "sharrows" instead of full bike lanes. (Council will make a final decision on the matter at the end of October.)

Gary Welsh, Toronto's General Manager of Transportation, explained that "in our opinion the [Annette] bike lane meets the needs of the cyclists. The sharrows are .. not as safe as a dedicated bike lane."

It was Bill Saundercook, the local councillor who requested that sharrows be installed instead of bike lanes. He was supported by committee members Mark Grimes (ward 6), John Parker (ward 26), and Chin Lee (ward 41). The committee's chair Glenn De Baeremaeker (ward 38) and vice-chair Adam Giambrone (ward 18) both sided with the cyclists. (Councillor Shelley Carroll (ward 33) did not attend the meeting).

Giambrone warned of how difficult it will be to implement the city's bike plan if local councillors can stop them so readily. "We're going to have to go the full way and make these tough decisions or they aren't going to happen," he said.

De Baeremaeker did not mince words. "[T]he downside of not putting bike lanes in is someone could be killed. Someone could be maimed."

Councillor Adrian Heaps (ward 35), who chairs the city's cycling committee, said he'll only push council to overturn the recommendation if he hears significant encouragement from the community.

We urge you to write your councillor, and copy your message to Councillor Heaps, and ask how we can improve the process to install bike lanes in Toronto. The current way is impeding the city's own bike plan, and more must be done. Toronto's cyclists deserve better. 

photo: Yvonne Bambrick