Key Bloor bike lane vote too close to call

Years of planning and debate about installing bike lanes on Bloor Street will cometo a headat acrucial committee vote today involving just four city councillors.

The executive director of Cycle Toronto, Jared Kolb,worries that if the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee doesn't vote in favour of the Bloor bike lanes, theproposed late summer installation date could be threatened.

"It wouldn't be the end, but it would certainly be a setback,"Kolbsaid.

• Bike lanes on Bloor must 'prove that bike infrastructure works,' Cressy says

• Bloor Street bike lanes proposal gets mixed reaction at public meeting

• Bloor Street bike lanes pilot project one step closer to reality

A staff recommendation for a pilot project setting upseparated bike lanes along Bloor between Shaw Streetand Avenue Roadwill be debated at ameeting of the committee Monday.

The committee can vote to adopt the motion, which will then be debated and voted at next week's city council meeting. If the motion passes there, the lanes could be installed by August.

But thevote is expected to be close.

CBC News canvassed the committee members, and the outcome isunclear.

Six city councillorsmake up the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. Two will likely be absent today.

Chin Lee, who representsWard 41,is out of the country and Ward 44'sRon Moeser is undergoing cancer treatment.

That leaves Stephen Holyday ofWard 3, Mary-Margaret McMahon of Ward 32,Ward 8 Coun. Anthony Perruzzaand Jaye Robinson, who representsWard 25.

Coun.McMahon says she will support the recommendations for the bike lanes. But Coun.Holyday is unlikely to, according to his executive assistant.

Coun.Perruzza is undecided and Coun.Robinson could not be reached for comment.

City staff estimate the bike lanes would cost approximately $500,000.

If the plan clears these upcoming hurdles and the lanes are installed, the pilot project will be studied and evaluated by city staff, who will report back to council in 2017.