On July 17, with an overwhelming 23-3 vote in favour, Toronto’s city council approved an updated Bike Network Plan that would see Bloor Street bike lanes extended from Shaw Street to High Park, and the installation of pilot bike lanes on Danforth from Broadview Avenue to Dawes Road, both as early as 2020. Council also supported a study of possible bike lanes on University Avenue, a key north-south corridor in the city’s core, while moving forward with installing bike lanes on Argyle Street, Blue Jays Way, Vaughan Road, Lawrence Avenue East, among others.

Metcalf’s Cycle City grantees, Cycle Toronto and David Suzuki Foundation, played critical leadership roles in building the case for action, organizing constituencies in support, and meeting with elected officials and staff at city hall in advance of this key council vote. This effort builds on a history of Metcalf-supported activities under the Environment Program’s Cycle City stream, including an economic impact study of the Bloor Street bike lanes and related short film, a report outlining how to build bike culture beyond downtown, and a history of polling and tracking Torontonian’s growing support for protected bike lanes across the city.