Cycling infrastructure in London is likely facing further delays after the city's civic works committee moved Wednesday to send plans for both a proposed east-west bikeway and a temporary King St. bike lane back to city staff for further consultation.

The final call on both deferrals will be made at a city council meeting in early March.

The proposed east-west bikeway would link the city's downtown and Old East Village neighbourhoods via eastbound Dundas St., but cyclists travelling westbound would have to divert north, up to Queens Ave.

That idea drew criticism from advocacy group London Cycle Link whose members want to see a two-way bike lane on Dundas St.

"If we build this hybrid, half-solution we'll see only marginal gains in cycling, as people choose to take the most direct and convenient option: their car," said Daniel Hall, the group's executive director said in a presentation to the committee Wednesday.

Jen Pastorius, of the Old East Village Business Improvement Area, said her members had their own concerns with the proposed bikeway.

Parking is a particular point of contention for business owners on the south side of Dundas St., where the proposed bikeway would run eastbound, Pastorius said Wednesday evening.

Many businesses sell furniture and other large items, and rely on street parking as an informal loading zone, Pastorius said.

"On-street parking has varied value depending on who you speak to, but in Old East Village businesses it's very important," she added

Deputy mayor Jesse Helmer, who sat on the previous council, spoke out against deferring the cycling projects — particularly the temporary King St. bike lane, which Helmer said is already well underweay.

Helmer said cycling on King St. is dangerous and spending money on a temporary bike lane is crucial to keep cyclists safe.

"This is the kind of back and forth decision making that can happen in government where nothing happens and bad outcomes happen," he said.

For his part, the city's managing director of planning John Fleming said he was unruffled by the delay and by competing objectives between cyclists and business owners.

"Solutions might not be easy, but that's what we're after."