BIA General Manager wins 3rd Annual Business Road Safety Champion Award!

We are thrilled to announce that our General Manager, Brian Burchell, was presented with Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition‘s 3rd Annual Business Road Safety Champion Award!

Coordinator of Community Bikeways, Albert Koehl, in presenting the award provided context, “In the spring of 2016, there were no bike lanes on Bloor (except across the Viaduct), no bike lanes on Danforth, no bike lanes on Yonge or University; essentially no bike lanes, except stubs, on any arterial road in Toronto.”

He added: “In the fight for Bloor bike lanes, the Bloor Annex BIA and Burchell supported a pilot bike lane from Avenue to Shaw; called for and helped finance a comprehensive report, that was novel in Toronto, on the impacts on business of bike lanes and lost parking; and, supported the permanence of the bike lane when that report was released, showing a positive impact on business.

Burchell, in accepting the award, said “Our studies have shown that not only has business gone up after the installation of the bike lanes but our street is substantially safer with less conflicts between all road users, less collisions between all road users and the majority of cyclists and drivers feel safer. We’re seeing families with children using the bike lanes. Our bike lanes are good for business and the safety of our community.”

About Community Bikeways: The grassroots coalition of community groups includes Walk Toronto, Women’s Cycling Network, TTC RidersFriends and Familes for Safe StreetsDoctors for Safe Cycling, RideFair, Safe Parkside, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC), Yonge4All, ClimateFast, and Community Bikeways.