On June 4th, 2008 the second phase of the 2008 Bikeway Network Program of installation of bicycle lanes is on the agenda of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC). This time there are 4 bike lanes totaling 7.6 km up for approval. While this is positive, with more bike lanes being approved in one meeting than there were in all of 2007, there is still some bad news in the report. Staff Report: 2008 Bikeway Network Program Phase 2 installation of Bike Lanes. The report states that there is support for the projects from the Councillors, Howard Moscoe Ward 15, Gord Perks Ward 14, Adam Giambrone Ward 18, Adrian Heaps Ward 35, and Bill Saundercook Ward 13. However Councillor Saundercook's support for the Annette St. bike lane is qualified. One section of the bike lane on Annette will not be going forward for approval at this meeting.

This image of the Toronto Bicycle Map has been edited to show some of the proposed bicycle lanes in Phase 2 of the 2008 bike lane program. The orange lines show the bike lanes proposed in 2008 for Annette St., Dupont Ave. and Lansdowne Ave. The orange dashed line from Runnymede Rd. to Jane St. shows the section that was dropped from this proposal . The Lansdowne Bike lanes should be up for approval in the fall. When these projects are completed it will create a linked route of bike lanes from Runnymede to Bay St. and further east via the Davenport bike lane.

The bike lanes on Annette will be shorter than originally planned due to the objections of some businesses on Annette. The Bike Plan recommended that these lanes run all the way to Jane street. A signed route was proposed on Baby Point Road, which intersects with Jane and Annette. This would connect with a proposed signed route along Humbercrest Blvd. This bike lane, along with the route on Dupont from Dundas Street West to Lansdowne also up for approval on June 4th, would have provided a direct bike route for local cyclists too and from the Humber Trail system via an entrance at Magwood Park off of St. Marks Road. The report outlines some alternate routes but they do not hold to the guiding principles that are to be used as Toronto builds the Bikeway Network of connectivity/continuity, directness and safety.

The dropping of the Runnymede to Jane section of the Annette Street bicycle lane shows that even with the new streamlined bicycle lane approval process approved this past January there is still a need for local residents who want improved cycling infrastructure in their neighbourhoods to get involved and voice their support for these projects when they come up for consultations and approvals. Pressure from a few residents concerned about the loss of some parking spaces caused Councillor Bill Saundercook Ward 13 Parkdale-High Park to back away from his election commitment to support a bike lane right to Jane. In this case and in others sure to come over the next 4 years this resistance has to be countered with messages of support from residents who want safe and direct bike routes for them and their children to use for transportation and recreation.

There is still time for you to have your voice heard on this project. You can send a written deputation to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee or register to make an in person deputation by contacting the Committee Administrator at pwic@toronto.ca. You can also send a copy of you letter of support for the bike lane to Councillor Saundercook at councillor_saundercook@toronto.ca. Ongoing pressure could see this gap in the Bikeway Network filled in at some point.

The fact that this one project has been cut back should not diminish the success in getting the other three projects approved. The bike lane on Pharmacy is especially significant development. This is in the ward of Councillor Adrian Heaps, the Chair of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee and and is the first of a set of projects up for approval this year that start to extend the Bikeway Network into Scarborough.

Phase 3 of the Bikeway Network program will be on the agenda of the June 27th PWIC where 21.3 km of bicycle lanes should be up for approval. Keep an eye on the PWIC Agendas/Minutes page about a week before the meeting to see the agenda and the phase 3 report.