Several business closures have taken place on Hornby Street in the half-year since the City of Vancouver installed a separate bike lane.
Other business owners who opposed the bike lane in the lead-up to its installation, such as former Café de France owner Lahten Abassi, sold their businesses. Now those opponents can take inspiration from Hogtown.
The City of Toronto’s public works committee voted June 23 to rip up its Jarvis Street bike lanes mere hours after the city’s mayor, Rob Ford, declared that the controversial bike lanes had to go.
The final decision on whether to scrap Toronto’s Jarvis Street bike lanes will be made by city council next month.
While Ford wants to get rid of the painted bike lanes on that street, he also wants to add 100 kilometres of off-road trails and put some physical barriers on busy streets.
That, however, is not enough for Toronto cycling activists, such as Andrea Garcia, who told media that she believes there is now a “war on the bike” in Canada’s largest city.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom