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Slowly but surely, the City of Toronto is making important additions and enhancements to bicycle infrastructure in order to improve safety and provide an easier commute for cyclists. As part of a year-long pilot project for the Richmond-Adelaide Cycle Track Study, bicycle lanes are being installed on Richmond, Adelaide, Simcoe and Peter Streets. The project is part of a currently ongoing Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA), which is studying the feasibility and impact of installing separated bicycle lanes in the core. Once the recommendations of the EA are voted on by City Council next year, the lanes may become permanent.
The Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, unveiled the changes on Wednesday at the corner of Adelaide and Brant Streets, in front of the freshly painted bike lane. “The installation of this cycling infrastructure will provide safer routes and better connectivity for cyclists as they travel in this part of the city,” said Councillor Minnan-Wong.
The south side of Adelaide Street has been graced with a uni-directional eastbound bike lane from Bathurst to Simcoe. The three remaining lanes of traffic are available for general purposes, though parking regulations on the north side continue to apply. The lane adjacent to the new cycle track is now subject to “no stopping” regulations.
Richmond Street is undergoing similar changes. Since Adelaide’s new bike lanes travel east, the north side of Richmond will accommodate a westbound uni-directional bike lane from Bathurst to York. Traffic lane widths will be adjusted to allow for full-time parking on the south side of the street, with two general purpose lanes remaining, east of Bathurst to Spadina. Off-peak parking will also be provided east of Spadina in some sections. Complementing these changes, a permanent contra-flow bike lane has been installed west of Bathurst to Niagara Street, allowing cyclists the opportunity to travel in both directions on the one-way street.
Bike lanes will also be installed on both sides of Peter Street between King and Queen at the expense of 10 on-street parking spaces. Although the lanes will likely not be physically separated due to surrounding construction work, the City hopes to install a buffer as well as wider sidewalks in the future.
The east side of Simcoe Street, between Front and Queen, now accommodates a northbound contra-flow cycle track. The west side of Simcoe between Richmond and King, and between Wellington and Front also now has a southbound bike lane, travelling in conjunction with adjacent one-way traffic. To make way for loading and pick-up/drop-off uses, sharrows have been installed between Queen and Richmond, and between King and Wellington. To help improve traffic flow for motorists, one-way traffic has been converted to two-way operation between Front and Wellington. No on-street parking spaces have been eliminated as a result of the new configurations.
A permanent southbound bike lane has also been implemented on Bathurst Street to provide connectivity from the new tracks on Richmond, west of Bathurst, to Adelaide. Further connections have been provided in the form of two westbound contra-flow lanes on the north side of Phoebe Street, from Beverley to Soho and on the north side of Stephanie Street, from John to Beverley. Finally, northbound and southbound sharrows on Soho will connect Phoebe to Queen Street.
The map below helps explain the changes being introduced this year. Work is currently progressing on the Richmond and Peter Street bike lanes while the Simcoe and Adelaide lanes are now free to use.
While Toronto is not exactly known for its expansive bike lane network, each of these changes represent a huge step forward in providing safe infrastructure for cyclists. The City will establish the effectiveness of the lanes, options for separation between bike and vehicular traffic, as well as impacts on parking, loading and the overall traffic flow in the coming months. Toronto City Council’s vote next year will determine whether any modifications need to be made.
For more information, visit the City of Toronto's website for the pilot project.
Were you aware of the Richmond-Adelaide Cycle Track Study? Do you believe the new bike lanes will be an asset to the city? Have your say by leaving a comment in the field below.
