I’ll predict those projects will see the same kind of success the city saw on Richmond and Adelaide streets, on Bloor Street, and with the weekend ActiveTO closures. People will vote with their wheels.
But before council approved the installations last month, they heard all the same backlash from local Business Improvement Area Groups, retailers and other curmudgeons: that this will make traffic worse, that bike lanes will destroy business, and that biking in Toronto isn’t feasible due to the city’s winters, amongst others.
These objections, however, are countered by real data. Travel time studies on Richmond, Adelaide and Bloor Streets saw minimal impacts on vehicle travel times — in one case, Adelaide Street, car travel times actually improved with the bike lane installation. And detailed studies on economic activity along Bloor Street saw a significant increase in the number of customers and customer spending after the bike lanes.
Read full article: Thousands of cyclists are hitting Toronto’s streets during the pandemic. No one should be surprised