Item - 2024.IE14.3

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council endorse, in principle, the bikeway projects contained in the Near-Term Implementation Program (2025 - 2027) as outlined in Attachment 2 to the report (May 13, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, as the focus of Transportation Services' cycling budget and capital implementation program, including the initiation of feasibility analyses, public consultation, and detailed design.   

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate the near-term studies of the Major City-Wide Cycling Routes as outlined in Attachment 3 to the report (May 13, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, and to bring forward the findings of these studies and recommendations regarding future implementation at the appropriate time.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, as part of the design, installation, and monitoring of new bikeway projects, to continue to work in consultation with the local Councillors, community representatives, and residents to identify and implement changes to the bikeway projects contained in the Near-Term Implementation Program, before and after installation.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to request, as part of the annual budget process, the capital funding required to implement the Near-Term Cycling Implementation Program (2025 - 2027), as well as the operating budget required to fund the maintenance costs of newly constructed bikeways.

5. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to restore the right-turn on red movement on Bloor Street West between the Humber River and Aberfoyle Road until such time as the traffic signal timing is updated, and monitor for safety concerns and make adjustments, as needed.

6. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the first quarter of 2025, on the feasibility of scale-up the delivery of the Cycling Network Plan to 150 kilometres of new and major upgrade bikeway projects for the 2028 - 2030 Implementation Program, with the report to outline the staff resources and budget that would be needed to do so.

7. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to finalize the Scarborough West Rail Trail study undertaken as part of the 2022 - 2024 Cycling Network Plan Update regarding the feasibility of a multi-use trail along the former GN-GECO rail spur line, update the local Councillor on the outcome of the feasibility study, and work with the local Councillor to update the community on the feasibility study including publishing a summary of the study for the public by the end of the third quarter of 2024.

8. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services work with the General Manager, Parks, Forestry, and Recreation to extend, if feasible, the Copperfield Road cycle path west of Manse Road, through Greyabbey Ravine and south of the rail corridor, to connect to Greyabbey Trail.

The Cycling Network Plan, most recently updated and endorsed by Toronto City Council in December 2021, 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.

This report provides a status update for the 2022 - 2024 Near-Term Implementation Program and seeks City Council endorsement of the 2025 - 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program as a roadmap for the delivery of new and renewed cycling infrastructure in Toronto for the next three years.

The Cycling Network Plan consists of three components:

-  a Vision for the Long-Term Cycling Network;

- a Network of Major City-Wide Cycling Routes; and,

- a Three Year Near-Term Implementation Program.

The Plan components, objectives and indicators align with and support other City policies and initiatives including the Official Plan, TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, RapidTO Surface Transit Network Plan, and the Congestion Management Plan.

A successful city requires a transportation system that is safe for people of all ages and abilities. Research and experience across North America have shown that when cities do not provide safe and comfortable alternatives to driving, the majority of residents travel by motor vehicle. In growing cities like Toronto, where hundreds of new developments are being constructed every year, if every new resident added another car on the street network, the traffic congestion across all parts of the city would be unmanageable. Travel mode choice is a crucial aspect of creating healthy, livable cities, and requires investing in new transit, bikeway and pedestrian projects.  

In 2021, City Council endorsed the 2022 - 2024 Near-Term Implementation Program which committed to 100 kilometres of new bikeways, and 40 kilometres of renewed bikeways which includes upgrades and enhancements to existing cycling routes.

Transportation Services is on track to deliver 75 kilometres of the 100 kilometres new bikeways committed by the end of 2024. While this value falls below the 2022 - 2024 target, it is expected to surpass the previous accomplishment of 65 kilometres over 2019 - 2021 without the unique parameters of the ActiveTO Cycling Network Expansion as a pandemic response program. There are also approximately 25 kilometres of additional projects that have been approved by City Council and are either underway and extending into 2025, or where construction has not yet started due to conflict coordination with other major road projects, or challenges experienced during detailed design. 

Approximately 25 kilometres of the projects completed in 2022 - 2023 and expected to be complete by 2024 are on the network of Major City-Wide Cycling Routes, such as Bloor Street West, Eglinton Avenue, and Sheppard Avenue East. These additions bring the total existing Major City-Wide Cycling Routes to over 230 kilometres, or 46 percent of the 500 kilometres network.

The increase in delivery and the quality of projects have been made possible by previous Council investments in complete streets, including increased funding, additional staff, and a new streamlined by-law reporting process approved as part of the 2021 Cycling Network Plan Update.

Transportation Services is expected to exceed its Council directed goal of 40 kilometres of renewed projects by 8 kilometres, with an anticipated delivery of 48 kilometres of upgrades and enhancements. Investing in improving the safety of existing older bikeways contributes to creating an all ages and abilities bikeway network. These upgrades are important improvements, and for many people who cycle, they feel like new infrastructure and unlock access to more destinations by bike and expand the accessibility of the cycling network.

The City of Toronto has made historic investments in the cycling network over the last three years. In 2023, $30 million was invested in new and renewed bikeways, representing the single largest financial contribution in one year for bikeways. Transportation Services has increased capacity to deliver transformative complete streets projects with enhanced safety and public realm features. Bikeway projects more regularly include permanent materials such as raised cycle tracks and green infrastructure. Additionally, the scope of cycling projects have grown to focus on all modes by implementing improvements for people driving (such as new turn lanes), for pedestrians and people with disabilities (such as new or wider sidewalks, curb extensions and raised crossings), and for transit (such as transit priority measures), thereby taking a complete streets approach with considerations for all road users.

Further, Transportation Services has focused on enhancing intersection design and is in the process of implementing over 20 protected intersections, as well as protected signal phasing and leading bicycle intervals to improve safety at intersections, where most serious and fatal collisions occur.

In November and December of 2023, Transportation Services undertook a public consultation process for the 2025 - 2027 Cycling Network Near-Term Implementation Program. Consultation activities included an online survey (over 9,000 completed responses), an interactive map (over 5,000 comments), three online workshops with interest groups and one public virtual meeting (over 300 participants), as well as four public drop-in or pop-up events (one in each Community Council district, attended by approximately 160 people in total).

Throughout the public consultation, there was a consistent message from people who cycle: progress is not only measured by the quantity of bikeways installed, but also the quality of design and the feeling of safety and comfort, especially at intersections.

“Safety” was the top recommended factor for deciding where to put new bikeways among respondents of all types. For people who cycle, “connectivity” was the next most important factor. From people who do not regularly cycle, their second top factor was “current cycling demand”, and they recommended prioritizing the avoidance of impacts to other modes of travel (vehicle lanes, parking, transit), when determining the location and type of bikeways to be implemented.

The routes recommended for the 2025 - 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program are based on public input, City policies and priorities, and technical requirements. The prioritization framework and data sets used to analyze potential routes were updated to reflect lessons learned through the consultation process, including greater emphasis on safety, connectivity, and equity.

Technical feasibility reviews were undertaken to assess, at a high-level, impacts and deliverability of candidate routes based on the design emphasis areas of all ages and abilities and complete streets, including an assessment of existing motor vehicle volumes. The coordination of capital works, especially sequencing or bundling with other planned major projects, is an important factor that greatly influences the implementation schedule. In addition to taking advantage of road work opportunities, other delivery emphasis areas of this near-term program include expanding and connecting to Major City-Wide Cycling Routes, as well as advancing recommendations from recent and underway Neighbourhood Streets Plans.   

Key projects to be delivered in the 2025 - 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program include:

- Etobicoke Greenway and North Etobicoke Hydro Corridor Trails

- Weston Cycling Connections Phases 2 and 3

- Keele Street from Steeles Avenue West to Finch Avenue West

- Lawrence Heights Cycling Connections and upgrade of Marlee Avenue

- Warden Hydro Corridor Trail

- Sandhurst Circle Cycling Connections

- Several sections of Eglinton Avenue, including the EglintonTOday phases, as well as McCowan Road to Kingston Road

- Dupont Street from Dundas Street West to Lansdowne Avenue (major upgrade) and new from Lansdowne Avenue to Davenport Road

- Parkside Drive from Bloor Street West to Lake Shore Boulevard

Transportation Services is proposing that the 2025 - 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program maintains the ambitious target of 100 kilometres of new and major upgrade bikeway projects. Over the past three years, investments have been made in staff resourcing and budget, better preparing the City of Toronto to achieve this commitment.