Bloor Street business owner supports bike lanes with exceptions for deliveries
As four city councillors began listening to arguments for and against installing bike lanes on Bloor Street, one local business owner and cyclist has proposed a compromise solution to the debate.
Véronique Perez is the owner and chef at Crêpes à Gogo on Bloor Street near Spadina Avenue and while she's generally in favour of bike lanes as a cyclist, she says there must be some exceptions to accommodate business owners.
"It's very crucial to our business to be able to load and unload and deliver," says Perez, whose business, like many along Bloor Street, doesn't have a back or side lane to move deliveries.
"Give us certain hours, for example, deliveries between such time and such time so we could at least have that and it would make it a more vibrant business area."
Perez says she doesn't think bike lanes would have much of an impact on her business otherwise as she says she already sees a lot of foot traffic and bikes parked out front of her shop in the Annex.
"If they come by car, there is ample parking space, so it isn't changing anything in terms of our cliental and revenue," says Perez.
Monday's debate is about a staff recommendation for a pilot project of separated bike lanes along Bloor Street between Shaw Street and Avenue Road. If it passes the public works and infrastructure committee then city council will vote on it next month.
CBC News canvassed the committee members, and the outcome is unclear. If the motion passes, the lanes could be installed by August.
So far, two business owners, the chair of the Annex Residents Association and a member of the David Suzuki Foundation have spoken out in favour of the bike lanes at the meeting.
City staff estimate the bike lanes would cost approximately $500,000.
