When a Toronto newspaper declares that this is the “Year of the Bike” and a city engineer suggests that every resident could soon be within 1.5 km of a bikeway, you know it’s a good year for bicyclists.
But when the year was almost two generations ago, in 1975, and the 1.5 km-goal remains a dream, you also know why cyclists are often dismayed by the pace of progress.
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The bicycle “revival” of the early 1970s quickly exposed the lack of safe places to ride. Metro Toronto (now the city of Toronto) responded by approving phase one of a 400-km bike trail network, with 160 km to be in place by 1979. By the end of 1975 alone, 16 km of bike trails and a 15-km on-road route were to be added.
Embracing the bicycle made perfect sense in 1975 for reasons that sound familiar today: traffic congestion, air pollution, and poor fitness levels. A federal campaign taunted us that the average 60-year-old Swede was more fit than the average 30-year-old Canadian.
The Star’s Bob Pennington wrote that a “freewheeling program for the next five years gives Metro’s soaring cycling population, estimated at around 750,000, even greater cause for contentment.”
But 43 years later, Torontonians are still waiting for a bicycle-friendly city. The slim list of accomplishments includes: replacement of sewer grates hazardous to skinny-tired 10 speeds; the growth of the bike trail system, although it never reached 400 km and was often spurred by politicians aiming to get cyclists out of motorists’ way; and an acknowledgement by City Hall that bicyclists have a right to the road.
In the meantime, each new bike lane has been endlessly studied and debated, and then often rejected. The 140 km of bike lanes built since 1975 only slightly exceeds the number of funerals for cyclists killed on our roads since then.
This brief history is not simply a lament for lost opportunities, but an opportunity to chart a new course.
First, bike plans that currently masquerade as action must become implementation plans. City staff need greater autonomy to implement approved bike plans, with the priority on routes that make sense for cyclists. Bloor-Danforth would be a good start.
Second, the mayor must appoint a councillor responsible for implementation of Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and its promised improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
Finally, politicians at every level of government must admit that Toronto has one overarching transport problem: too many cars. Between 1947 and 1975, automobile numbers surged from 135,000 to 940,000 within the boundaries of today’s city; since then, we’ve simply perpetuated a destructive car-based model that devours our land and degrades our air, health and climate.
It’s time to end our mania to accommodate every person who wants to drive and park in our city – an obsession that consistently thwarts community-building initiatives for better transit, safe bike lanes and vibrant neighbourhoods.
We can’t wait another 43 years. With upcoming provincial and municipal elections, it’s time to push for 2019 to be a true Year of the Bicycle.
Albert Koehl is an environmental lawyer, road safety advocate and author of the online guide Road Follies. He is a founder of Bells on Bloor.
