Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Jarvis St. bike lane advocates hold vigil on day of removal

About 15 people showed up at the corner of Jarvis St. and Wellesley St. E. in the pouring rain Monday evening to mark the loss of the Jarvis St. bike lanes.
They held cups and jars with tea light candles and waved yellow flags with phrases like “Jarvis Gravy Lane” written on them while marching down Jarvis.
“By removing the lanes, you’re making the street less safe not only for cyclists but for cars, for pedestrians as well. It makes no sense to put peoples’ lives in danger to increase traffic speed by the average of two minutes,” said Danny Brown, a co-organizer of the Jarvis Emergency Task Force.
The group stopped at Charles St. E. to lock a green bike to metal rails on a median in the middle of the street.
The bike, which has a fake letter from Mayor Rob Ford hidden under the seat, is meant to be a time capsule. It’s supposed to serve as “a reminder of what Jarvis St. should and could have been” when people find the bike and the letter in the future, organizers say.
Adam Dunn, who lives on Jarvis, saw the vigil as a way to move forward the idea of bike lanes in the city.
“I really believe (the city) should listen to the people who live in this community who are here tonight.”
Earlier in the day, several protesters staged a sit-in as crews tried to remove the Jarvis bike lanes. Eventually, crews called off work for the day, giving the lanes a one-day reprieve.

from
 http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1286793--jarvis-st-bike-lane-advocates-hold-vigil-on-day-of-removal

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