Item - 2019.IE1.5

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council approve maintaining the cycle tracks on the following streets as a permanent installation:

a. Richmond Street East from Parliament Street to Yonge Street

b. Richmond Street West from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street

c. Adelaide Street East from Parliament Street to Yonge Street

d. Adelaide Street West from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street

e. Simcoe Street from Front Street West to Queen Street West

f. Peter Street from King Street West to Queen Street West.

2. City Council enact traffic and parking regulation amendments, and cycle track designation amendments, and parking machines and meters by-law amendments to modify the current cycle track installation on Adelaide Street East and Adelaide Street West from Bathurst Street to Parliament Street to improve safety and operations including but not limited to moving the existing cycle track from the south side of the street to the north side of the street, as described in Attachment 1: Amendments to Traffic and Parking Regulations, Cycle Track Designations, and Parking Machines and Meters By-law attached to the report (January 15, 2019) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to evaluate fully protected left turn phases and right turn bike boxes at all signalized intersections on Adelaide Street, between Bathurst Street and Parliament Street, as part of the detailed design of the permanent cycle tracks proposed to be relocated to the north side of Adelaide Street and in doing so, evaluate the safety and movement through the intersections for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

The Ten Year Cycling Network Plan, adopted by Council in June 2016 seeks to build on the existing network of cycling routes – to connect gaps in the current network, grow the network into new parts of the city, and renew existing parts of the network to improve safety. The Richmond and Adelaide cycle tracks serve as a critical east-west spine in the Downtown Core, providing access by bike to the largest concentration of jobs in the City, region and the entire country as well as housing, culture, entertainment and retail destinations.

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval to maintain the cycle tracks on Richmond Street and Adelaide Street, as well as the north-south cycle tracks on Simcoe Street and Peter Street as permanent installations.

The cycle tracks on these streets were installed between 2014 and 2016 as pilot projects. Cyclist volumes on these streets have increased significantly with minimal impact to motor vehicle travel times. Collision rates for cyclists and motor vehicles have also reduced significantly following installation of the cycle tracks. 93 percent of people surveyed agree or strongly agree to make the cycle tracks permanent.

Following extensive consultation with the public and local BIAs, Transportation Services is proposing to move the existing cycle track on Adelaide Street East and Adelaide Street West from the south side to north side to improve operations and safety.

People riding bicycles are vulnerable road users and can be seriously injured in even minor collisions, so prioritizing their safety by making the pilot cycling facilities permanent is necessary to encourage people to choose to ride. No significant impact to traffic operations or emergency services is anticipated and, with the conversion to permanent facilities, existing conflicts with TTC vehicles will be reduced.