Community members weigh pros and cons of Bloor bike lanes at public meeting

At a public drop-in on Monday evening, residents in the area, local business owners and city councilors gathered to discuss the Bloor bike lanes project as city council looks at whether or not the pilot project will become a permanent fixture.

The public meeting took place at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre.

The lanes, which the city is operating as a one-year pilot project, run from Avenue Road and Shaw Street and cost around$500,000 to install. Cyclists will be separated from moving traffic with posts, road paint and parked cars.

SteveHeuchertsays he hardly ever bicycledalong Bloor Street before but feels a lot safer doing it now.

"I'm finding that it's a really fun street it's engaging," he said. "It is much safer. I'm enjoying some of the businesses I didn'teven know existed."

Coun. JoeCressy, who represents Ward 20, said a survey conducted by the city of Toronto received the largest response rate that a transportation survey ever has in the city's history.

"Sixty-six per cent of drivers now feel safer driving on Bloor whereas in 2015 it was only 15 per cent," he said. "So while some drivers don't like the lanes and others do, a vast majority of them feel safer...And that's ultimately what we need."

"It's good and helpful and means less people die. I'm in favour of that," saidGraydonSaunders, who lives in the neighbourhood."I think we're going to have to adjust to fewer cars if we want tohave a high density downtown."

A detailed evaluation report on the project will be published and presented to city councillater in 2017.

Meanwhile, the city is asking any properties alongBloor Street to contact its staff directly ifthere are any site specific issues.

DarylCristoff, a politician that plans to run in the upcoming provincial election, says that while canvassing he has heard from alot of residents who say theBloorbike lanes have caused a lot of problems that the cityhasn't addressed.

Trucks and delivery vehicles are finding it difficult to park anywhere for a short period of time and people who live in the areaare unable to find parking, he said.

"Bloor is so commercialized, it's not feasible. It's like putting [bike lanes] on Avenue Road or Yonge street," he said. "You've got a lot of pedestrian traffic, cutting in and out of the subway systems having cyclists impedes a lot of that flow."