The cycling tracks currently in place along two major Toronto roadways will be extended, effectively doubling their length.
The separated bike lanes on Adelaide and Richmond Streets will be extended east to Parliament Street, the City of Toronto said in a statement on Monday.
The lanes, which are separated by painted lines and flexible bollards, run eastbound on Adelaide and westbound on Richmond.
The lanes currently run between Bathurst Street and University, but crews will begin work this week to extend the designated lanes to Parliament Street, essentially doubling the track. At the same time, crews will conduct minor repairs to the pavement.
Northbound and southbound lanes will also be installed on Peter Street, between King and Queen Streets. The installation is expected to be completed by the end of September.
"The extension of these cycle tracks is an important step toward improving the connectivity and safety of cycling in Toronto," Coun. Jaye Robinson said in the statement.
The bike lanes are part of a pilot project that began in 2014. In the last year, the city said it received "numerous" requests to extend the lanes eastward.
The changes will help the city evaluate the effectiveness of the lanes, before considering whether they should be expanded to other parts of Toronto.
The pilot project is also focused on options for the separation between the tracks and the traffic lanes, as well as the impact on parking and the effect on traffic flow.
