People in Toronto furious that Eglinton LRT construction overlooked one critical thing

Construction on Eglinton has been an absolute nightmare for people in Toronto over the past decade, so it's more than disappointing to learn that when the Crosstown LRT is finally ready, the street is still going to have one major shortcoming.

According to a petition by Cycle Toronto, the bike lanes coming to Eglinton will not be protected and instead just marked the old fashioned way — by a bit of paint.

Was v disappointed to see it was just going to be paint. Total road reconstruction & it’s just paint. Not raised, separated. What a waste. https://t.co/ZcANeMTgZ9

— Three Geese Radius (@shawnmicallef) October 5, 2021

Protected and dedicated bike lanes have become the new way to build out Toronto's cycling infrastructure for a while now, so the decision not to make them this way is headscratching to say the least.

Paint isn't infrastructure

— Clinton Anderson (@Clint0nAnders0n) October 5, 2021

Metrolinx's CrosstownTO arm says they've started painting a line along Eglinton Avenue East that will partition the bike lane from the rest of the street. 

But that's not good enough according to Cycle Toronto and many local residents who are asking for the protected bike lanes to be constructed now and be ready alongside the Eglinton Crosstown LRT when it's finally ready to open to the public in 2022. 

There's so much boulevard space and plenty of spaces where the boulevard is concrete or asphalt rather than grass or scrub. Rather than inconsistent boulevard design make the boulevard spaces into raised bike lanes.

— Moaz Ahmad (@yyzMYA) October 5, 2021

During the construction of the LRT, Cycle Toronto says plans for protected bike lanes were already in place, although most of them are so far unfunded. 

While CrosstownTO says the bike lane painting is expected to be finished later this year, Cycle Toronto is advocating for more protected bike lanes, and for them to be completed much sooner.

The group proposes that in the short term, "affordable quickbuild materials like those seen on Danforth Avenue and Yonge Street could be used to establish protected bikeways, patios and greenery," as stated in the petition for the cause.