More bike lanes, please

Toronto’s bicycling infrastructure scores low compared with other world cities, according to a new report card released by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) and the Clean Air Partnership. On average, only 4 percent of commuters bike to work in Toronto, whereas in cities with more established commuter cycling, such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, bicycling is the primary mode of transportation for one out of three commuters. Toronto’s per capita budget is one tenth of what London (UK) spends for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

The report, “Benchmarking Toronto’s Bicycle Environment: Comparing Toronto to other World Cities,” calls for greater investment in active transportation – walking and cycling – in Toronto. Fred Sztabinski, TCAT’s project coordinator for Bike Summit 2008, commented, “The findings of the report suggest that greater investment in municipal bicycling infrastructure could increase bike ridership, help to combat climate change, establish Toronto as a leader in sustainability, and would also make Toronto more competitive with other world-class cities.”

There are 214 kilometres of bike lanes in Toronto, and the city is struggling to meet its goal of 1000 kilometres by 2011. The first permanent bike storage station will open at Union Station in July, though, and from now on, any TTC or city facility undergoing refurbishment will incorporate a permanent bike storage station.