Bike lanes have proven to be an extremely divisive topic in Ontario, especially in Toronto, where Premier Doug Ford is going as far as removing select cycle tracks to convert lanes back to mixed-use traffic, reversing multiple years and millions of dollars of worth of construction work led by the City.
As various groups continue to express strong support for or oppposition against Ford’s plans, one group of 40-odd businesses is taking their dissent with the infrastructure type to a new level, launching a lawsuit against the City over its ever-growing cycling network.
But, a few days after the legal action became public, there is already some backlash from members of the community.
A statement of claim filed with the Superior Court of Justice on February 21 alleges that the City and its transportation manager “manipulated the public consultation process to minimize opposition and exaggerate support” for new bike lanes along Bloor Street West, and did fulfill their public duties to local businesses as a result.
It states that there has been “runaway traffic congestion issues” as a direct result of the extension of the tracks along the thoroughfare in recent years, and, as other establishments elsewhere in the city have echoed, they’ve generally been bad for business.
While drivers and residents’ associations have long complained about new bike infrastructure in their communities, only a few businesses have taken the same public stand.
The Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area (BIA) and GreekTown on the Danforth BIA have both sent letters to the mayor challenging parts of the cycling network expansion, and few businesses have also spoken up with their resentments over the years, and received a lot of hate as a result.
One was a pub that created a “f*ck bike lanes” t-shirt last year, and another, a bakery that took to Instagram to bemoan the recent complete street project along Bloor.
The latter owner is part of this new lawsuit, along with a slew of others who are now being named and shamed by residents who say they are “disappointed” in the move.
One of multiple social media posts naming and shaming the businesses associated with the case that alleges the City did not adequately consult business owners before extending bike lanes along Bloor Street West.
“I will make my purchases in the Kingsway accordingly,” one local wrote in a South Etobicoke community Facebook group this week, sharing the list of businesses that are taking the City to task. Some of the notable businesses listed include:
- North Brentwood Massage Therapy Clinic
- Romi’s Pizza
- Orrett Music
- Team Touch Hair Design
- Simply Chic
- Greek Taverna
- Sushi2Go on Bloor
- The Inventory Exchange
- Young’s Produce
- Magic Spot Grill
- Just Greek Restaurant
- Kingsway Variety
- The Golf Gallery
- Momiji Japanese Grill
- Prive Hair Gallery
- Kingsway School of Music
- Beautique Spa & Laser
- California Sun Spa
- Arthur Murray Dance Studio
- Buck’s Hard Goods
- Kingsway Fish & Chips
- Janchenko’s Bakery
- The Business Men’s Grooming Lounge
- Beaulieu Village Care
- Crooked Cue
The post has since amassed hundreds of reactions from both sides of the argument, with comments ranging from “this is an excellent boycott list” to “I will absolutely support these heroes.”
As the tensions continue to escalate between the two camps, the City is pushing forward with reconstructing more roads to have cycling paths despite Ford’s legislation, which will see the removal of bike lanes along Yonge Street, University Avenue and yes, parts of Bloor Street as early as this spring.
