Toronto’s bike lanes cost millions to install. How much will it be to remove them?

As the Ford authorities puts the wheels successful question to statesman removing bike lanes from 3 Toronto thoroughfares, an adept who helped counsel the metropolis connected their installation is informing the outgo could beryllium significant.

The state has confirmed plans to region motorcycle lanes from Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street arsenic portion of new legislation that volition besides marque it harder for cities to physique them connected arterial roads going forward.

The Ministry of Transportation has promised to wage cities, peculiarly Toronto, the costs incurred if they are forced to region motorcycle lanes but has not offered specifics for however overmuch removal could travel to.

A spokesperson for the City of Toronto told Global News the motorcycle lanes connected Bloor Street West took betwixt 3 and 4 months successful phases to instal and outgo astir $4.5 million.

A caller way down the westbound broadside of University Avenue took astir 9 months to instal astatine a outgo of $130,000, portion ongoing enactment connected the eastbound broadside of the thoroughfare is estimated to outgo $836,000. Bike lanes were installed connected Yonge Street during the pandemic arsenic portion of a $3.8 million, city-wide enlargement of cycling infrastructure.

One expert, who helped the metropolis with its cycling infrastructure plans aft the pandemic, said removing the motorcycle lanes would beryllium arsenic costly arsenic installing them.

Margaret Parkhill, concern portion manager for mobility astatine Arcadis, suggested removing the motorcycle lanes would not beryllium particularly elemental — peculiarly due to the fact that they came arsenic portion of broader changes to things similar the timing of postulation lights oregon the configuration of sidewalks.

“Any alteration to the thoroughfare — whether it is adding thing oregon removing thing — I would expect precise apt to outgo the aforesaid arsenic installing something,” she told Global News.

“And besides see it’s not conscionable taking retired immoderate bollards for the motorcycle lanes. It’s the signage, the pavement marking, the operational changes to the intersections. So it needs to beryllium well-planned and designed to recognize what’s the scope of the change.”

Parkhill helped the metropolis with its pandemic cycling infrastructure plan, including changes to Yonge Street the authorities plans to reverse.

A spokesperson for Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said the changes would spell up due to the fact that the authorities believes the motorcycle lanes are making congestion worse.

“The 1.2 per cent of radical who commute by motorcycle shouldn’t beryllium clogging superior roads for the implicit 70 percent of radical who drive. It’s conscionable communal sense,” they said successful a statement.

“We each cognize which lanes are causing further congestion crossed our city. Those are the ones we’ll beryllium focusing connected arsenic we enactment done the reappraisal process.”

The authorities has started the process of removing the lanes done the posting of regularity changes. The changes volition not travel into effect until aft the authorities to restrict aboriginal motorcycle lanes besides passes astatine Queen’s Park.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has blasted the authorities for the decision, suggesting it volition make much congestion, not less.

“Ripping up our roads volition marque radical little safe, marque postulation worse, and enactment lives astatine risk. Full stop,” she wrote successful a caller societal media post. “I situation the Premier to speech to radical who person mislaid loved ones connected our roads and perceive their stories.”

Ontario NDP MPP Jessica Bell said the removal of motorcycle lanes “divides and distracts” from the important issues.

“We request existent solutions for congestion — similar yet opening the Eglinton LRT, and making the 407 toll-free for trucks, alternatively of inexpensive authorities that pit roadworthy users against 1 another,” she said successful a statement.