Thou Shalt Not Park in a Bike Lane

Editorial: Annex Gleaner, April 2025

Is the death of a cyclist in Toronto enough to spur the city to take action to improve road safety? When it comes to the perennial problem of illegal parking in bike lanes, the answer, sadly, is “no.”

Illegal parking in bike lanes is as old as bike lanes themselves. Soon after the installation in 1991 of a short bike lane on Bloor Street East (from Sherbourne Street to Broadview Avenue, across the Viaduct), some motorists quickly put the new space to work, for themselves. Parishioners at a church on Bloor East were among the first to break the bylaw commandment: Thou shalt not park in a bike lane.

A person walking along Bloor in the Annex 35 years later couldn’t be blamed for thinking that nothing has changed to reduce illegal bike lane parking. Indeed, there are new transgressors, including the many drivers engaged by faceless companies that run ride-hailing and food-delivery services. New measures to deter scofflaws—who still excuse themselves with “I’ll just be a minute” (even though a crash can happen in mere seconds)—haven’t kept pace, especially along some of the city’s main street bike lanes.

“Protected” bike lanes that feature physical separation between cars and bikes (the south side of Bloor in the Annex, for example), largely prevent illegal parking—by design. But other bike lanes delineated only by paint allow easy access for motorists. These bike lanes either date from an earlier era or the city considered a painted line as the only feasible option, given a narrow roadway or other restrictions.

Toronto Police now have a bicycle-mounted unit of three Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs) who patrol bike lanes, but the chances of getting caught are slim given the size of the city. To make matters worse, these PEOs go home at 6 p.m. and don’t work on weekends, precisely the worst times for illegal parking.

After a young woman was killed in July, 2024 on Bloor at Avenue Road (in that case attempting to steer around a construction bin in the bike lane), Mayor Olivia Chow committed to tackling the problem of illegal parking. She proposed licence plate readers that serve a purpose similar to that of speed cameras. Technology is indeed a key part of the solution, but nine months after this latest tragedy, we’ve yet to see any action. The mayor owes us an update.

Another part of the solution is to rein in the app companies, whether they’re acting as ride-hailing or food-delivery services. More regulation is vital to stop the companies from washing their hands of responsibility for their drivers. Last year, city council passed a motion by Councillor Dianne Saxe calling on Queen’s Park to grant new powers to cities to license the food apps, which would allow for new obligations and responsibilities to be imposed on the companies. More pressure on the province will be needed. In the meantime, local merchants who serve take-out could provide a simple community service by posting signs such as “Parked in the Bike Lane. No Food”—in the same way as they currently post: “No [insulated] Bag. No Food.”

The city should also explore its existing business licensing powers to determine how it might restrict the use of cars for food delivery. Surely, using one tonne cars to deliver burgers and tacos is absurdly inefficient, and largely unnecessary given the availability of e-bikes with significant range.

There are two other victims of illegal parking in bike lanes. First, the community, which has invested its time and resources in advocating for safe cycling infrastructure. Second, the growth of cycling, especially among prospective riders who may forego cycling altogether to avoid the danger.

We certainly shouldn’t have to wait for a cyclist to die before we get serious action to reduce illegal parking in bike lanes.

The Gleaner invited this guest editorial from Albert Koehl, an environmental lawyer, coordinator of Community Bikeways, and author of Wheeling through Toronto, A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders (University of Toronto Press).

Illegal parking in bike lanes is as old as bike lanes themselves. Soon after the installation in 1991 of a short bike lane on Bloor Street East (from Sherbourne Street to Broadview Avenue, across the Viaduct), some motorists quickly put the new space to work, for themselves. Parishioners at a church on Bloor East were among the first to break the bylaw commandment: Thou shalt not park in a bike lane.

A person walking along Bloor in the Annex 35 years later couldn’t be blamed for thinking that nothing has changed to reduce illegal bike lane parking. Indeed, there are new transgressors, including the many drivers engaged by faceless companies that run ride-hailing and food-delivery services. New measures to deter scofflaws—who still excuse themselves with “I’ll just be a minute” (even though a crash can happen in mere seconds)—haven’t kept pace, especially along some of the city’s main street bike lanes.

“Protected” bike lanes that feature physical separation between cars and bikes (the south side of Bloor in the Annex, for example), largely prevent illegal parking—by design. But other bike lanes delineated only by paint allow easy access for motorists. These bike lanes either date from an earlier era or the city considered a painted line as the only feasible option, given a narrow roadway or other restrictions.

Toronto Police now have a bicycle-mounted unit of three Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs) who patrol bike lanes, but the chances of getting caught are slim given the size of the city. To make matters worse, these PEOs go home at 6 p.m. and don’t work on weekends, precisely the worst times for illegal parking.

After a young woman was killed in July, 2024 on Bloor at Avenue Road (in that case attempting to steer around a construction bin in the bike lane), Mayor Olivia Chow committed to tackling the problem of illegal parking. She proposed licence plate readers that serve a purpose similar to that of speed cameras. Technology is indeed a key part of the solution, but nine months after this latest tragedy, we’ve yet to see any action. The mayor owes us an update.

Another part of the solution is to rein in the app companies, whether they’re acting as ride-hailing or food-delivery services. More regulation is vital to stop the companies from washing their hands of responsibility for their drivers. Last year, city council passed a motion by Councillor Dianne Saxe calling on Queen’s Park to grant new powers to cities to license the food apps, which would allow for new obligations and responsibilities to be imposed on the companies. More pressure on the province will be needed. In the meantime, local merchants who serve take-out could provide a simple community service by posting signs such as “Parked in the Bike Lane. No Food”—in the same way as they currently post: “No [insulated] Bag. No Food.”

The city should also explore its existing business licensing powers to determine how it might restrict the use of cars for food delivery. Surely, using one tonne cars to deliver burgers and tacos is absurdly inefficient, and largely unnecessary given the availability of e-bikes with significant range.

There are two other victims of illegal parking in bike lanes. First, the community, which has invested its time and resources in advocating for safe cycling infrastructure. Second, the growth of cycling, especially among prospective riders who may forego cycling altogether to avoid the danger.

We certainly shouldn’t have to wait for a cyclist to die before we get serious action to reduce illegal parking in bike lanes.

The Gleaner invited this guest editorial from Albert Koehl, an environmental lawyer, coordinator of Community Bikeways, and author of Wheeling through Toronto, A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders (University of Toronto Press).