A number of area businesses have raised concerns about the presence of the bike lanes, particularly as it pertains to customer parking and complications around deliveries.
Tory said he is “very anxious” to ensure those issues are addressed but believes the majority of business owners have either a “neutral or positive” opinion on the bike lanes.
The results of a study carried out by the by The Centre for Active Transportation and included in the staff report seems to support that.
According to the study, merchants on Bloor Street reported an increase in customers since the lanes were installed while visitors to the area said that they came to the area an average of three times more per month.
Notably, the study found that the number of merchants who reported having 100 or more customers on a typical Saturday increased from 46 per cent before the lanes were installed to 62 per cent after their installation. This increase was even more significant along Danforth Avenue, going from 25 per cent to 81 per cent. The bike lanes do not extend to Danforth Avenue but do connect with an existing lane that travels across the Bloor Viaduct.
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