Years of advocacy paved the way for a quick transition and set the stage for future improvements rolling out at a faster pace.
Move365 Connect Yonge is Here!
The Yonge Loves Bikes campaign started with the idea to bring protected bike lanes to Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown Yonge Street. The communities saw localized campaign work happening to bring a bold cycling network to Yonge; we pushed for REimagine Yonge in North York, advocated for streetscape designs and ActiveTO in Midtown, and supported a vision for Yonge TOmorrow that included bike lanes downtown.
With the launch of the Move365 Connect campaigns, we saw the importance of advocating for connecting all of Yonge with protected bike lanes — from Steeles Avenue to Lake Ontario. This fits into our broader vision of connecting communities in Etobicoke, North York, and Scarborough, and means rebranding Yonge Loves Bikes to Move365 Connect Yonge. We want to close all of the gaps on Yonge between the three projects that have already been approved.
Midtown on the ground
June saw ActiveTO in Midtown Yonge come to life; in a matter of weeks, bike lanes began connecting communities from Davisville Avenue to Bloor Street. While there are improvements to be made — work is not yet complete and this is a temporary pilot — we want to see these bike lanes become permanent. And, importantly, we want to close all of the gaps on Yonge, allowing the people of Toronto to move around with greater ease.
Midtown Yonge Progress.png
Photo Credits: Left: Shawn Micallef. Centre: Kevin Rupasinghe. Right: Nicholas Jones
Uptown Yonge on the way
The future of Yonge in North York is set and it includes protected bike lanes from Sheppard Avenue to the Finch Hydro Corridor. This project took years of work to get approved and two votes at City Council. It forced us to rethink how we do advocacy — bringing in outside organizations and talking about more than just bike lanes was the pathway to a resounding success. The next step is extending this great work north and south.
yonge-street-re-design-plan.jpg
Rendering by the City of Toronto
Downtown Yonge on the way
Downtown Yonge is going to look a lot different in a few years. A plan has been approved that will see one of the most iconic stretches of road in Canada redesigned with a people-first approach. Years of advocacy and coalition building went into gaining support for a plan that prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists, and multimodal road users.
NORM-LI_200616_CAM_Yonge_Gerrard_VF_01%20_1_.jpg
Rendering of Yonge Street just north of Gerrard looking west by Norm Li.
Why is building bike lanes on Yonge so important?
"Given the epidemics of diabetes and hypertension in our communities, building the necessary infrastructure for people to safely participate in active transportation is essential. There are also clear mental health benefits to participating in physical activity. Furthermore, as we see the effects of climate change on health and wellbeing, we need to move in a direction that enables us to decrease our use of fossil fuels for the health of this and future generations. The bike lanes on Yonge are a MAJOR step in the right direction and a sign of a forward-thinking city."
- Dr. Eileen Nicolle, Toronto family physician
Thousands of people agree with Dr. Nicolle that protected bike lanes belong on Yonge — over 3,000 people have already signed their support. Can we count on you to show up?
Calling for protected bike lanes on Yonge is about more than transportation — our streets have the power to connect communities, improve our mental and physical health, provide space for children to play, and allow businesses to thrive. Through collaborative efforts with the Yonge Working Group, Resident Associations, and Yonge BIA’s (Business Improvement Areas), we are able to advocate for protected bike lanes for all communities along Yonge and beyond.
The tireless work of our staff, community partners, and members has made this progress possible. If you share our vision of being able to safely cycle anywhere in Toronto, consider donating or becoming a member yourself for just $30.
Make sure to share this information far and wide — we need to show up in numbers to bring change and transform Toronto’s cycling network.