1.2 percent.
Supposedly, only 1.2% of Toronto residents ride their bike to work. And because of that, the provincial government has proposed legislation that would block the construction of new bike lanes and remove the existing lanes on Bloor, University, and Yonge.
But does that statistic seem a little suspicious to you?
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sakaria and Premier Ford have been regurgitating that number in the media since Bill 212 was announced.
But the stat is thoroughly flawed. The number comes from a 14 year old census and considers the transportation habits of the population of the entire Toronto metro area as a whole.
(A map of the Toronto CMA. Image: Wikipedia)
So that means we’re including areas like this:
(Farmland in Caledon.)
And this:
(Cottages in Georgina.)
And this:
(Sprawl in Milton.)
…in that 1.2%. I, for one, am not surprised that few residents of these communities commute to work by bike. It’s a challenging task, for a variety of reasons.
So why are we considering behaviours in rural and exurban contexts when making decisions about places that look like this:
(Commuters on Bloor West at rush hour. Image: Observing the City Twitter account)
Consider this: less than 1% of Toronto residents own a boat. Should we demolish the many marinas that dot the lakeshore and take up valuable waterfront space? To parrot an often-heard talking point of online anti-cycling commentators, how many months a year do boaters even boat, anyway?
(Bluffer’s Park Marina in Scarborough. Image: Marina Reviews)
Very few Torontonians regularly golf. Should we get rid of some of the massive, centrally-located golf courses that could be used for housing or parkland? We do have a housing crisis on our hands at the moment.
(Don Valley Golf Course. Image: Golf the Six)
Actually…now I think about it, maybe we should rid the city of golf courses and marinas.
If we use the provincial government’s logic, it would just be common sense.
While the preceding sentence might have been a rousing finish to this month’s Just for Fun, it would be negligent to not include some insight into actual numbers for a piece about statistical accuracy.
According to a 2019 study, 44% of Torontonians ride a bike to work, school, or to do errands. Coupled with another 26% who ride for fun and exercise, that’s more than two thirds who ride a bike. And in neighbourhoods where protected cycling infrastructure exists, the number is even higher. In Ward 11 - University - Rosedale, which includes portions of the Bloor, University and Yonge bike lanes, almost 10% of residents said they cycle to work.
For a more informative (but possibly less fun) explanation, this recent CBC video dives into the issue with a great attention-to-detail.
(A commuting map using 2021 census data. Image: Anthony Smith/@safestreetsTO)
It’s doubtful, but perhaps going forward, our provincial leaders might consider using accurate data to back up their policy positions.
It would just be common sense.
