Toronto cyclists are in celebration mode because City Council has officially ruled that the Bloor Street bike lanes are here to stay. After a landslide vote in favour of the Bloor lanes, Council announced the news with supporters, such as Coun. Joe Cressy calling it a "monumental effort" 40 years in the making. For nearly a year, the bike lanes were tested under a pilot project that measured its affects on cyclists, pedestrians, motorists and businesses. According to City staff, the pilot project report found that nearly 5,500 cyclists use the lanes daily, there was a 44 per cent reduction in the total number of conflicts between all road users and the commute for drivers was only two to four minutes slower because of the bike lanes. Overall, the report found that the bike lanes make the road safer for everyone, and the vote was highly supported by Major John Tory, saying he believes the report is accurate in terms of the increased safety the bike lanes offer to Torontonians. And now cyclists across the city are celebrating the news, hosting parties and bar hangs in celebration of the permanent Bloor bike lanes. But of course, there are still people adamantly opposed to the Bloor bike lanes, Stephen Holyday, who wrote a report card on the lanes and gave them an "F" for not attracting more cyclists and reducing motorists on the street. But for the most part, the 36-6 vote supporting the bike lanes demonstrates just how much they are wanted and needed on Bloor. Source: CBC