New bike lanes in Toronto make everyone safer and healthier 

_{March 10, 2025
By Marco Campana, Knowledge Mobilization and Social Action Coordinator, Access Alliance}

On February 27, 2025 Access Alliance Health Promoter and Bike Hub Coordinator Marvin Macaraig deputed to Toronto City Council on planned increases to cycling infrastructure in the City.  

While the plan includes a number of useful cycling infrastructure and additions, one in particular impacts the communities we serve in East Toronto/Scarborough, on Ellesmere Road between Orton Park Road and Kingston Road. According to the City planned City roadwork provides “an opportunity to improve safety, accessibility, and operations for all people using the street. The project proposes cycle tracks, multi-use trails, safety and accessibility improvements, and other design elements. This project does not involve motor vehicle lane removals.” 

As Marvin has previously written, bike lanes are part of a healthy, safe, and equitable Toronto. Fostering a community where people can learn from each other and build strong supportive social networks includes more people riding in safer conditions. We’re excited how this plan considers the needs of all road users while emphasizing the safety of vulnerable road users. (i.e., people cycling/walking, young children, the elderly, or those who require accessibility devices or use strollers etc.) 

We’re happy to report that the motion was amended and adopted by the committee. It now goes to Council for a vote with a recommendation for adoption from committee. We expect it to pass and look forward to even more connected and safe cycle paths for cyclists and pedestrians. 

You can watch Marvin’s deputation here and read his remarks below: 

Deputation remarks from Marvin Macaraig, Ph.D., Health Promoter, Bike Hub Coordinator, Access Alliance 

Good morning Committee, my name is Dr. Marvin Macaraig, I am a Health Promoter at Access Alliance which is a community health centre, with three locations in Toronto. I work out of our east office, located at Victoria Park and Danforth in Ward 20, and I am a lifelong resident of Scarborough. 

At Access Alliance one of the initiatives that I oversee is our very popular Scarborough Cycles Program, where for the past 10 years we have been working really hard at building bike culture and incubating cycling in Scarborough through the establishment of three community bike hubs that offer free programs such as drop-in bike repair, group rides, mentorship, learn-to-ride classes and other skills-building workshops. 

I want to thank transportation staff for their work on this report and I am here to speak in support of the projects included in this item, however at Access Alliance we are especially excited about the Ellesmere Complete Street Project for the following reasons. 

Firstly, this project will bring road safety improvements to the Lawrence-Orton Park community, which is where one of our bike hubs are located. Last year that Bike Hub recorded about 700 visits, the vast majority coming from the surrounding neighbourhoods. 

As a Health Promoter a primary goal of my work is harm reduction and disease prevention, and if people are getting killed and injured on our streets, we take it seriously, so we work to find solutions, and implementing a complete street approach on a suburban arterial road like this one is a significant step. It also showcases what can be done to improve mobility in our suburbs in the 21st century 

2024 was a dark year for cycling safety in Toronto. Six people lost their lives riding a bike last year, two of which were in Scarborough 

We need to do better, we have all the solutions, and a Complete Street on Ellesmere will help prevent future tragedies. I know this project will make a big impact, reduce injuries, save lives, and help get us to our VisionZero goals. 

Secondly, we support this project because of its ability to connect key local destinations. Anchor institutions like the University of Toronto Scarborough, Centennial College, Centenary Hospital and other everyday type destinations like Seven Oaks long-term care, the Meadoway, schools and shopping plazas in the area will benefit. 

We need to give more people, more options, to address barriers to equity. There is a mounting body of evidence that connects the health of individuals to the built form and more specifically their available transportation options. Communities that encourage more walking and cycling will have healthier people, and this project will do just that. 

On a larger city-wide scale, this Ellesmere Complete Street project has the potential to connect east Scarborough to the growing cycling network which also include improvements coming to Scarborough Golf Club Rd, and Port Union Rd. 

However, I do want to say that all these improvements and benefits to this part of Scarborough will only be realized when the long-awaited Danforth-Kingston Complete Street Extension is built because this would directly connect even many more of Scarborough communities to each other and to the core. 

So let’s say yes, to this item, yes, to individual health, yes, to community health, yes to road safety, and lets continue our work to build a stronger and more resilient future in Scarborough. 

Thank you for the time and your consideration, and I am happy to answer any questions if you have any. 

More action you can take 

The Danforth-Kingston Complete Street Extension is a critical project that will connect several communities in Scarborough to Toronto’s transportation network. It is a once in 25-year opportunity to implement a complete street approach that will include road safety improvements such as protected bike lanes, transit priority lanes, and streetscaping upgrades. Like similar projects already implemented in Toronto, it will bring much needed economic revitalization opportunities and improve safety for all road users.