Cyclists press city to install Eglinton bike lanes during resurfacing
Cyclists rallied along Eglinton to urge Toronto to install planned bike lanes now, arguing delays will cause extra construction, higher costs and safety risks.
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By Torontoer Staff
Hundreds of cyclists rode along Eglinton Avenue to demand the city follow through on its eglintonTOday Complete Street plan and install protected bike lanes during current resurfacing. Organizers say postponing the lanes until after the Crosstown LRT opens will mean two rounds of construction, higher costs and greater risk to people who cycle.
The ride was organised by Cycle Toronto, which called on Mayor Olivia Chow and city council to resist further delay and implement the approved changes now.
What protesters want
Cycling advocates want the city to add protected bike lanes as part of the resurfacing work already under way. They argue that doing so while crews are on the road is the most efficient and safest option, and that deferring construction will force residents and businesses to endure another disruption when the lanes are eventually built.
Delaying Eglinton is a self-inflicted mistake that will make congestion worse by forcing residents and businesses to endure two rounds of costly, unnecessary construction instead of one.
Michael Longfield, executive director, Cycle Toronto
Timing, costs and safety
Advocates point to the current construction window as the most practical moment to add bikeways because crews and traffic management plans are already in place. They say resurfacing now and returning later to install bike lanes is wasteful, and that interim conditions without protected infrastructure make streets less safe for people on bikes.
The Crosstown LRT project has faced repeated delays. Cycling groups say that makes the present resurfacing an opportunity to make lasting street safety improvements while work is already disrupting traffic.
Political and legal context
EglintonTOday, the city council approved plan that includes new bikeways, changes to car and bus lanes and revised parking, passed council on May 23, 2024 by a 19–1 vote. City staff say the project will be installed when the LRT opens, because buses continue to run along Eglinton while the LRT is not yet operational.
The planned eglintonTOday Complete Street project, which includes new bikeways and changes to car and bus lanes and parking, will be installed when the LRT opens, as buses continue to run along Eglinton Avenue in the meantime.
City of Toronto spokesperson, emailed statement
The pause on bike lane installation reflects a broader dispute over provincial involvement in municipal street design. The province attempted to remove several Toronto bike lanes through legislation known as Bill 212. Cycle Toronto successfully defended lanes on Yonge, Bloor and University avenues in court, but the province has appealed that decision. Advocates say the ongoing legal and political pressure leaves the Eglinton plan vulnerable to further change.
Public support and child safety concerns
Polling suggests broad public backing for protected cycling infrastructure. An Ekos survey cited by advocates found 74 per cent of Torontonians blame congestion on construction mismanagement rather than bike lanes, and seven in 10 respondents supported more protected cycling routes.
The bike lanes planned as part of EglintonTOday would connect communities and help children and other people be independent, safe and active. Children’s safety isn't something that can wait until next summer.
Graham Pressey and Yael Boyd, Marlee 4 Kids organisers
Key facts
- eglintonTOday was approved by city council on May 23, 2024, by a 19–1 vote.
- Cycle Toronto organised the protest to press for immediate installation of bike lanes during resurfacing.
- City staff say bike lanes will be installed when the Crosstown LRT opens because buses still run on Eglinton.
- An Ekos poll shows strong public support for protected cycling routes and blames congestion on construction mismanagement.
- Provincial legislation and litigation have placed recent bike lane projects under additional political scrutiny.
City officials have committed to the eglintonTOday plan in principle, but activists say the implementation timeline leaves the project at risk. With legal challenges and provincial pressure still unresolved, the debate over immediate installation highlights a larger question about how Toronto balances road maintenance, transit projects and street safety.
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