The numbers are in: Jarvis bike lane adds one to four minutes of travel time, increases bike traffic by 30 per cent
Anyone who was awake during the spring and summer months leading up to the 2010 mayoral election in Toronto may remember the controversy over bike lanes in general and the Jarvis bike lane in particular. Exhibit A in the case “People vs. War on the Car,” the Jarvis bike lane was decried by mayoral candidates, most prominently Rocco Rossi. Yesterday evening the city released a report with actual data on the impact of the bike lane. According to the Toronto Star:
A report released Tuesday evening shows that catastrophic traffic delays some motorists predicted on Jarvis St. haven’t materialized since the city removed a car lane last summer to create two cycling lanes.
Some motorists travelling north in the afternoon rush, however, are experiencing delays up to four minutes longer than city staff had forecast….
Much of that delay is due to a northbound left turn at Gerrard St., something that will be corrected this summer when the signal times will be changed, says the Toronto Transportation Services Division report.
So the results of the new lane are well within staff expectations—except for left-turning cars causing a delay at Gerrard. Meanwhile, counts of cyclists on the street show that their number has increased by about 30 per cent.
Having driven up Jarvis during the evening rush hour, and contemplated suicide while doing so, we don’t imagine this report will mollify the bike lane’s harshest critics. But for a bit of fun, the Informer contacted Rossi, the bike lane’s fiercest foe, to see what his reaction was.
“I’m focused now on issues affecting the people of Eglinton-Lawrence and I’m gearing up for the provincial election,” says Rossi. “I care passionately about my city, but have to leave it to municipal officials and the community to respond to facts about Jarvis Street as they experience them.” We seem to have misplaced our vague-to-English dictionary right at the moment, but we think Rossi is basically saying “bygones.” Meanwhile, we’ll see if the Jarvis bike lane can sway any more of its former enemies over the summer.
• Slight delays for motorists on Jarvis after bike lanes installed [Toronto Star]
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/the-numbers-are-in-jarvis-bike-lane-adds-one-to-four-minutes-of-travel-time-increases-bike-traffic-by-30-per-cent/&title=The numbers are in: Jarvis bike lane adds one to four minutes of travel time, increases bike traffic by 30 per cent&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/rocco-rossi-jarvis.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_66931" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Rocco Rossi during his “countdown to congestion” on Jarvis Street last summer (Image: Rocco Rossi)"][/caption]
Anyone who was awake during the spring and summer months leading up to the 2010 mayoral election in Toronto may remember the controversy over bike lanes in general and the Jarvis bike lane in particular. Exhibit A in the case “People vs. War on the Car,” the Jarvis bike lane was decried by mayoral candidates, most prominently Rocco Rossi. Yesterday evening the city released a report with actual data on the impact of the bike lane. According to the Toronto Star:
A report released Tuesday evening shows that catastrophic traffic delays some motorists predicted on Jarvis St. haven’t materialized since the city removed a car lane last summer to create two cycling lanes.
Some motorists travelling north in the afternoon rush, however, are experiencing delays up to four minutes longer than city staff had forecast….
Much of that delay is due to a northbound left turn at Gerrard St., something that will be corrected this summer when the signal times will be changed, says the Toronto Transportation Services Division report.
So the results of the new lane are well within staff expectations—except for left-turning cars causing a delay at Gerrard. Meanwhile, counts of cyclists on the street show that their number has increased by about 30 per cent.
Having driven up Jarvis during the evening rush hour, and contemplated suicide while doing so, we don’t imagine this report will mollify the bike lane’s harshest critics. But for a bit of fun, the Informer contacted Rossi, the bike lane’s fiercest foe, to see what his reaction was.
“I'm focused now on issues affecting the people of Eglinton-Lawrence and I'm gearing up for the provincial election,” says Rossi. “I care passionately about my city, but have to leave it to municipal officials and the community to respond to facts about Jarvis Street as they experience them.” We seem to have misplaced our vague-to-English dictionary right at the moment, but we think Rossi is basically saying “bygones.” Meanwhile, we’ll see if the Jarvis bike lane can sway any more of its former enemies over the summer.
• Slight delays for motorists on Jarvis after bike lanes installed [Toronto Star]){kind=link}
I live right on Jarvis and I do love the bike lanes but maybe I didn’t read about it or look to find out but why does it end on Queen? I have to go down to Lakeshore for work and it’s a pain in the a** after Queen – The drivers from the suburbs trying to get on the gardner not giving us bikers enough room to get through PLUS the roads start to get bad and we have to deal with potholes and cracks. I’ve been using Church Street now since I’ve noticed the roads are smoother and the drivers aren’t as aggressive towards Front St. Will the city be extending it?
Amen! Get over your “war on car” hysteria, Toronto. It doesn’t suit you.
I’m a pedestrian but I take taxis like the former Chair of the TTC since the TTC is sometimes quite unreliable. I don’t have a car. I hope they get rid of those bike lanes, since people use their cars in February, but not many use bike lakes then. Go ride in the park.