The City of Toronto has decided to experiment with bike lanes on University Ave, after deciding on bike lanes on Jarvis. I support establishing an excellent network of bike lanes throughout Toronto, but I don’t support the apparent “war on cars” approach of the outgoing mayor.
Instead, I support a strategic approach. We already have bike lanes on many north south streets, such as Beverley and Sherbourne. I suggest we create even more, a really good system of bike lanes to provide safe bike access all over the city. At the same time, I think we should reserve a network of streets such as University and Jarvis that have no bike lanes and perhaps even no bikes or cabs during rush hours, to facilitate automobile traffic. That seems to me to be a balanced approach.
We don’t have to try bike lanes on University to see what happens. It’s obvious what will happen. It’s the same kind of thinking that came up with ideas like the narrowing of Lansdowne Ave. I understand that advocates of those plans want a car-free city; however, I think we’re a long way from that yet, and for now, I want a city I can drive in, bike in, take public transit in, and walk in.
I fear that plans like bike lanes on University are going to cause a backlash in the coming municipal election and generate support for the conservative blow-hards in the race, and that would be a shame.
27th Street 
Biking from the west end, I use to love biking down (notice how I say “down”, biking up it was a little more work) University because it was such a wide street, and made my commute to work so much faster than trying to negotiate the smaller side streets, which are nice when you have a little extra time to stop and start your whole way to work. Sometimes you just have to get to work faster, and University was fast. It’s been a while since I biked University, but it does seem like it can accommodate both cars and bike.
I think it’s important to find ways to share existing roads.
Bike lanes are a great idea, but as you point out, they often get used as a car-hater’s tool in the war against personal motor vehicles. That’s a shame.
What make bike lanes work for everybody is when they are designed to help make traffic, all traffic, flow safely. Even if bicycles are not one’s primary transport to and from work, the number of them in use as recreational vehicles merits the need for bicycle lanes and separate trails.
Here in town there are bike lanes along many busy streets, and many of them get used regularly. Unfortunately, delivery trucks and other hurried people park on the curb and bike lane, forcing bikes out into the city traffic. An interesting but tricky development here a few years ago was the permission granted to bike riders to ride down one-way streets against traffic. There are warning signs and painted stripes at intersections to warn drivers. It’s like being in London now, you have to look both ways just to be safe. The most effective bike trail along the busiest streets into Frankfurt are ones that are between the curb and the sidewalk, above street level and blocked off with small posts so that cars cannot drive up on the curb. Cutting back car lanes to make way for bikes only works if there is a concept in place to relieve car traffic in the city. Simply hoping that more people will start riding bikes is not a concept. There also is an incredible maze of one-way streets in the residential neighborhoods around downtown to keep the car traffic on the main arteries. Those side streets are amazingly quiet, even on busy workdays.
I’m with ya on this. The other problem is that once a bike lane is installed; it’s probably impossible to get rid of.
So who do you think of the current mayoral candidates would be the most moderate un car hating choice??
I’m looking forward to hearing what all the candidates have to say.