The reallocation of street use from on-street parking to active transportation infrastructure such as widened sidewalks or bike lanes has become a controversial issue in many cities over the past several decades. Opposition to such changes is often based on the assumption that on-street parking is vital to business and that removing on-street parking will decrease customer numbers and therefore commercial activity. However, cities are becoming increasingly interested in providing space for active transportation, citing the health, safety and environmental benefits as primary catalysts.
Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village was conceived as a research study to investigate the attitudes of merchants to the reallocation of street use from on-street parking to active transportation infrastructure, to test assumptions about modal share and economic activity, and to gauge merchants’ and residents’ preferences for changes in street use allocation.
A webinar on March 30th profiled the findings of the study, the tools and methodology used and a discussion on how a similar study could be conducted in other communities.
To read the study report please click here.
To view the webinar powerpoint presentation click here.
To view the webinar recording click here.
To view the webinar agenda please click here.
Other Resources:
Bikes, On-Street Parking and Business Year 1 Report
Curbing Cars: Shopping, Parking and Pedestrian Space in Soho
Bike Lanes would Help Bloor West Village Businesses
Bloor-Danforth Bikeway Plan Rolls On
Strong Support to Replace Bloor Street Parking with Bike Lanes
Bikes on Blur
Presenters:
Jennifer Forkes, Senior Researcher
Clean Air Partnership
Nancy Smith Lea, Director
Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, Clean Air Partnership
About the presenters:
Jennifer Forkes is a Senior Researcher at the Clean Air Partnership. At CAP she is currently involved in policy research focusing on urban heat island initiatives in Canadian communities. Jennifer is also the convener of the Alliance for Resilient Cities. She has taught courses in environmental science and geography, and presented research to audiences ranging from grade school children to academics and professionals. She holds a MSc in Land Resource Science and a BSc in Environmental Sciences and is working towards her PhD in Environmental Geography.
Nancy Smith Lea is the Director of the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation at the Clean Air Partnership. Prior to this she was a senior research officer at the University of Toronto between 1990 and 2009 where she achieved a M.A. in sociology and equity studies (thesis title Cycling Safety: Shifting from an Individual to a Social Responsibility Model). Nancy has been actively involved in working toward improving conditions for active transportation in Toronto since 1993. She has published several articles on barriers and incentives to cycling and has been invited to speak on a regular basis at conferences and other public forums about her active transportation work.
Support has been provided by the Vital Toronto Fund at the Toronto Community Foundation, the Moving on Sustainable Transportation (MOST) Program at Transport Canada and the City of Toronto.
