7-in-10 Favour Bike Lanes Overall

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7-In-10 Favour Bike Lanes Overall

Majority approve of new Bloor Street bike lanes

In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 882 Toronto voters, 7-in-10 favour bike lanes overall (70%), and this is especially the case in downtown Toronto and East York, where most are located (79%). Other groups who especially favour bike lanes include the youngest (77%), the wealthiest ($100K to $250K - 79%), mothers (75%), those who commute by transit (78%), bicycle (91%) and on foot (79%) and even, surprisingly, among a majority of those who commute in private vehicles (63%). Those who voted for Olivia Chow in the last mayoral election are especially likely to favour bike lanes (88%).

Majority approve of Bloor Street bike lanes

More than half of Toronto voters approve of the new Bloor Street bike lanes (56%), and this is especially the case in downtown Toronto (63%), where they are located.

Half want Bloor St lanes extended to Don Valley

One half those polled (52%) think the Bloor Street lanes should be extended past Avenue Road, across Yonge Street and east to the Don Valley, once more, especially in the downtown (61%) and especially among cyclists (88%).

Fewer than one fifth have ridden these lanes, one third in the downtown

In total, just less than one fifth of voters claim to have ridden on the Bloor Street bike lanes (17%), and one-third of downtowners have as well (33%).

One half have driven Bloor Street since lanes were installed          

One half of Toronto voters have driven Bloor Street along the bike lanes since they were installed (52%), and this is two thirds among downtowners (63%).

One half have driven Bloor Street since lanes were installed

Four-in-ten of those who have driven there (44%) say traffic on Bloor Street adjacent to the new bike lanes moves faster (10%) or has not changed speed (34%) since the lanes were installed. Slightly more say traffic is now slower (48%). In total, one quarter of Toronto voters say traffic is now slower along this stretch of Bloor Street (26%).

“These lanes have obviously been something of a success, and even the majority of drivers favour them. This bodes well for more bicycle infrastructure if as ambitious a project as this can meet with so little opposition” said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.