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Brad Bradford said he has a proposal that could be worth a listen for cycling enthusiasts in Toronto.

The mayoral hopeful discussed the hot-button topic of bike transit while on the campaign trail at Second Harvest in Etobicoke on Wednesday morning.

“I am going to build hundreds of kilometres of high-quality, multi-use trails through our urban ravine network,” Bradford said. “And those plans have been on the books for 15 years. We just haven’t had the leadership to see it through. That is my commitment to the cycling community as a guy who rides more bikes than probably anyone who’s ever been elected to office in this country.”

His campaign commitment aims to appease the cycling community, especially those who rallied on Tuesday night to thwart the planned removal of 1.2 km of cycling lanes on Bloor St. W. between Clissold and Royal York Rds.

The protest delayed the removal for one night as road crews left around 8 p.m. after protesters impeded progress along Bloor. On Wednesday afternoon with the support of Toronto Police, work crews began to dismantle the dedicated lanes on both sides of the street.

Amid a warning from Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw that arrests could happen, police cuffed two people on mischief charges during the lane-removal process on Wednesday.

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Bradford says he wants ‘safe’ network

Many cycling advocates said personal safety was an issue they rallied behind when they gathered at Tom Riley Park on Tuesday before the road work could start.

Bradford agreed safety should be a consideration.

“What we need is a safe, high-quality cycling network, but it doesn’t always need to be on an arterial road,” Bradford said.

In total, the province plans to remove 19 km of bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge St. and University Ave.

The Doug Ford government has long maintained removing the bike lanes would improve traffic congestion in the GTA.

“There’s a lot of bike lanes that work really well in this city,” Bradford said. “In fact, I’m actually the only campaign that’s talking about expanding the cycling infrastructure. Mayor Chow has been silent on all of this. She has no plan. She has no vision.”

Chow focused on libraries

When Olivia Chow ran for mayor in the previous municipal election, restoring library service was a key election plank. And she is banking on maintaining increased hours and Sunday operation to better her election chances, while saying her main opponent will threaten progress.

“We have seen libraries put on the chopping block before,” Chow told reporters on Wednesday morning at Toronto Public Library’s Riverdale branch. “We know what going backwards looks like: Shorter hours, closed doors and fewer opportunities for the people that need them most.”

Bradford said there will be “no cuts” as well as “no privatization of water.

“All of the fear and scare tactics for Mayor Chow are reflective of a campaign that is completely out of ideas and out of gas,” he said.

As a father of two children, Bradford said he realizes the value a library provides.

“I actually love the library hours on the weekend because I’m a young dad with two young kids,” Bradford said. “When we go to the library on the weekend, I really value that and I think a lot of people do. That is a good investment. That is something that I intend to keep.”

ganderson@postmedia.com

  • Toronto bike lanes getting kicked to the curb on Tuesday; protests planned by cycling advocacy groups
  • Ontario government to begin ripping up Bloor bike lanes in Toronto