Toronto Dials Back on Bikes

For a city with a history of lackluster bicycle planning efforts, perhaps it wasn't surprising last year when Mayor Rob Ford led an effort to remove a bike lane along Jarvis Street. Although not much to begin with -- "it's narrow and beside four lanes of traffic that goes very fast, just a strip of paint on the road" -- the lane helped to reduce accidents and triple bicycle usage, notes Alter.

In the year since removal of the lane was approved, Mayor Ford's anti-alternative transportation agenda has suffered numerous setbacks, and earlier this week, "about 350 people showed up on the anniversary of the decision to remove it, to try and get City Council to change their minds," writes Alter.

"Who knows if this will have any effect, or if the lanes will be saved. But it is a good object lesson for cities across North America about what happens when the 'war on the car' right wing politicians get elected. It could happen in New York after Bloomberg; it can happen anywhere."