Bloor bike lane work to begin next week

The city will begin work next week to install cycle tracks on Bloor Street and that's going to mean some changes along the roadway.

In May, city council voted in favour of the pilot project to install two and a half kilometres of separated bike lanes on Bloor Street — from Shaw Street to Avenue Road — in order to make the street safer for cyclists.    

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To install those cycle tracks, the city will reduce that stretch of Bloor Street to one lane in each direction starting on Tuesday.

For the first few days of construction, there will be no on-street parking allowed in that area, starting Monday at 6 p.m.

In the meantime, the city is asking cyclists to use Harbord Street as an alternative route during construction.

Crews will be installing new painted bike lanes, flexi-posts and signs to indicate the new lanes as well as the changes to parking bylaws and loading areas.

That work will take place through the day and overnight from Monday to Friday, and there is a possibility of some weekend work. It is expected to take about two weeks to complete.

Once the lanes are in use, the city will evaluate the effectiveness and design of the cycle tracks, and the impact they have on traffic, parking and loading for area businesses.

During the one-year, $500,000 pilot project, city staff will track bicycle and motor vehicle traffic, as well as feedback from the local community and report back to council in 2017.