Seeking Quality Not Quantity for Toronto's Bike Network

says City Councillor Adrian Heaps is hoping to shift the city's focus from its long-held goal of building 1,000 kilometers of bike lanes in the city. A new report doesn't even mention that goal, instead listing areas where new infrastructure could strengthen the system.

"A blueprint for the city's active transportation priorities over the next two years, Changing Gears lists connecting bikeway trails and completing downtown bikeways as the top two priorities. It will be used as the basis for a review of the 2001 Bike Plan by city staff after this fall's election.

Changing Gears documents the 9 per cent growth in Toronto cyclists biking for practical rather than recreational purposes - not just downtown but in the inner suburbs; the growing appetite for and availability of secure bike parking, including a bike station at Union Station; and a new zoning bylaw requiring developers to incorporate bike parking into new buildings."