Cyclists to Rally as City Delays Eglinton Bike Lanes
Cyclists will ride Eglinton on Sept. 11 to demand the City install bike lanes during road resurfacing, after officials paused construction until the LRT opens.
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By Torontoer Staff
Cyclists will ride along Eglinton Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 11 to press the City of Toronto to install bike lanes as part of the EglintonTOday resurfacing project. The action follows the city’s decision to postpone bike lane construction until the Crosstown LRT opens, a move advocates say wastes money and creates a safety risk.
The protest, organised by Cycle Toronto, starts at 6 p.m. at Eglinton East and Holly Street and will proceed west about 1.5 kilometres to Chaplin Crescent. Riders will call on Mayor Olivia Chow and city councillors to follow the plan approved by council and complete the bikeways during the current resurfacing window.
Why advocates object
Cycling groups say resurfacing the road now without adding protected lanes, then reopening it when the LRT’s construction finishes, means residents and businesses will face two rounds of disruptive and costly work. They also argue that a temporary pause prolongs unsafe conditions for people who cycle on a busy arterial street.
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
Advocates point to the Crosstown LRT delays as a reason to proceed now. With buses still using Eglinton, the resurfacing window is the most practical time to add bikeways, they say, rather than waiting for an uncertain LRT completion date.
Community impact and safety concerns
Local groups including Marlee 4 Kids say the planned bikeways would connect neighbourhoods and improve safety for children and families. They warn that postponing lane installation affects people who rely on safe cycling routes today, not next summer.
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
Polling suggests broad public support for the advocacy position. An EKOS survey cited by cycling groups found 74 percent of Torontonians attribute congestion to construction mismanagement rather than bike lanes, and seven in 10 respondents said they want more protected cycling routes.
What the city says
A city spokesperson confirmed that the EglintonTOday Complete Street project, which includes new bikeways and changes to lanes and parking, will be installed only when the LRT opens. The city’s statement said buses continue to run along Eglinton, and that is the reason for delaying the work.
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
Political and legal backdrop
The pause on Eglinton lanes comes amid an ongoing tug of war between municipal planning and provincial intervention. The issue surfaced when the provincial government moved to remove several prominent Toronto bike lanes through Bill 212. Cycle Toronto challenged the move in court and won protections for the lanes on Yonge, Bloor, and University Avenue, but the province has appealed.
Advocates say the Eglinton decision reflects a larger trend of provincial encroachment into local street design and safety choices. City council previously approved the EglintonTOday plan, but the political environment has left implementation uncertain.
What supporters want now
- Proceed with protected bike lanes during the current resurfacing, to avoid double construction.
- Use the approved EglintonTOday plan as the basis for immediate work where possible.
- Commit to a clear construction timeline tied to safety and minimised disruption.
Cycle Toronto and allied groups plan a visible turnout on Sept. 11 to put public pressure on city leaders. The rally aims to demonstrate support for completing the bikeways now, and to remind council that the approved plan addresses safety and connectivity on one of the city’s major east-west corridors.
As construction timelines and legal appeals continue to evolve, the outcome on Eglinton will serve as an indicator of how the city balances short-term logistics with long-term street design goals.
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