Cyclists rally for safer bike lanes and routes in Scarborough and East Toronto

By KAT BERGERON

Cyclists came together at Main Street and Danforth Avenue for Just Bluffing Around, a community bike ride drawing awareness to Danforth Kingston 4 All, a campaign protecting bike lanes in Toronto.

The group met on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 10 a.m., talked, took photos, and pedalled eastbound on Danforth Avenue at 10:30 a.m. towards Bluffer’s Beach Park for a noon picnic.

The day’s goal was working towards change for safer roads for cyclists in East Toronto and Scarborough.

“The fact that the city thinks this project can move forward without Bill 212 interfering is a really great sign. But, you know, I think the part of the reason why folks are here is, we don’t want to take anything for granted,” said Michael Longfield, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto, and event organizer.

“We want to, basically, counter this kind of myth that bike lanes are actually controversial. They’re not.”

In November 2024, Ontario’s Bill 212 (the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act) was put in place with the intention to reduce gridlock and commute times for drivers by removing bike lanes. Cycle Toronto joined two individual cyclists in challenging the legislation, and it was ruled unconstitutional by Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas in late July. The province has said it will appeal that decision.

Longfield said Cycle Toronto did a recent poll asking Torontonians to weigh in, finding that seven in 10 Torontonians are in support of protected bike lanes, and nearly eight in 10 want the city to do more to make streets safer for all road users, no matter the mode of transportation.

Without bike lanes, many argue the safety of having to ride on the road, citing incidents of cyclist and vehicle collisions. 

Biking in Toronto can be challenging as “there are bike lanes and they’re wonderful, but there are not as many,” as there need to be, according to cyclist Anne Guilbrie.“When there’s not a bike lane, it’s really dangerous, it’s risky. And we’ve seen the results of that.”

Some residents noted that not every road is equally accessible or safe for cyclists, only for driving or walking. Some cited construction as the cause, others mentioned a need for improvement in specific areas. 

“I live in the East End, and I commute this way downtown and back and forth every day, and it’s a different world on the other (east) side of Victoria Park, with bike lanes here. And so, anything we can do to sort of increase the safety from Yonge-Bloor to Scarborough Golf Club Road, or however far east we can go, that would be great,” said cyclist Barry Davis.

Also mentioned was Brimley Road with no bike lanes or shoulder, and high speeds making it difficult to stop at lights on the road, and Kingston Road, which was a provincial highway prior to 1998. As a main connecting road, Kingston continues to host high volumes of traffic at higher speeds than smaller roads, making it tougher on cyclists to keep up with traffic. 

“I’ve always been advocating for safe streets, which are badly needed beyond the downtown core, especially in places like Scarborough. And I feel the campaign, like Danforth Kingston 4 All, needs all the support they can get,” said Robert Zaichkowski, author of Twowheeledpolitics.ca.

The Highway Traffic Act states that all cyclists over 10 years of age must ride on the road, instead of the sidewalk, protecting pedestrian safety and classifying bicycles as a vehicle, with the exceptions being designated shared paths.

“There’s always issues with going on the sidewalk. They have to go on the road. That’s because it’s under the Highway Traffic Act,” said Lucy Perrie, instructor at Scarborough Cycles. “Unfortunately, it’s not happening at all. So, I am stressing to everybody out there — you gotta be on the road and just straight-line cycling. Be aware of your surroundings.”

The campaign for safer streets for everyone was a collaborative effort between Cycle Toronto, Toronto East Cyclists, Scarborough Cycles, Danforth Kingston 4 All, and AccessAlliance, as well as local cyclists who wanted to get involved.