Toronto city council to vote on Bloor bike lanes pilot project

Toronto city council is expected to decide today on a pilot project that would create five kilometres of temporary bike lanes on Bloor Street.

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The project would create dedicated lanes between Shaw Street, east of Ossington Avenue, and Avenue Road.

If city council votes in favour of the proposal, the temporary bike lanes could be in place as early as this August.

According to a staff report, the pilot project aims to improve safety for both motorists and cyclists on that stretch of Bloor, encourage cycling and provide information for future bike lane projects.

If the proposal goes ahead, motor vehicle traffic along Bloor Street between Shaw Street and Avenue Road would be reduced to one lane along "parking-protected" bike lanes in both directions, which would buffer cyclists from live traffic with a parking lane separating the two.

The area proposed for the bike lanes has an average history of 22 collisions per year from 2008 to 2012, according to the report.

Last month, the city's public works and infrastructure committee voted 2-2 on the proposal.