Memorial bicycle sculpture installed along Etobicoke bike lanes; rally planned Tuesday

A sculpture dedicated to cyclists who have lost their lives on Toronto’s streets was erected near Bloor Street West and Islington Avenue Monday night, while work crews continue dismantling bike lanes in Etobicoke even as cycling advocates have tried to slow down their progress at every step.

The installation features a number of bicycles painted red stacked on top of each other against a hydro pole in a pyramid-like shape, with a lone bicycle nailed to the pole above the rest of the sculpture. Plastic skulls and flowers hang off the bikes and a sign attached to the pole reads, “This sculpture was built to honour the lives lost on Bloor, Yonge + University during the 20 year fight for safe streets.”

The memorial sculpture appeared a week after cycling advocates managed to stave off work crews who had arrived to begin removing the Etobicoke bike lanes on the night of Oct. 13. While the work trucks turned back that night, they returned the next morning and have been making steady progress in removing bike lane infrastructure, moving east from Islington Avenue.

Throughout the week since, cycling advocates have been gathering on sidewalks alongside workers removing the bike lanes to protest the Ford government’s decision to uninstall what they believe to be life-saving infrastructure.

Cycle Toronto, Friends and Families for Safe Streets and other advocacy groups have organized a rally at Tom Riley Park at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night to “celebrate the one-week anniversary of sending workers home.”

Since the protests began, four people have been arrested and charged with mischief and obstructing police as protesters have been using civil disobedience strategies like refusing to move while sitting on curb barriers that crews are trying to remove or entering bike lanes and blocking workers from carrying out removal tasks.

Protesters have said they are trying to make dismantling bike lanes as inconvenient as possible in order to send a message to the authorities that they oppose the work and the hefty $48 million price tag it comes with.

Meanwhile, the community remains divided on the issue with many relieved to see them removed. Community group Balance on Bloor told CityNews that they celebrated the removal of the bike lanes in Etobicoke because they are not utilized enough to justify the reduction of traffic lanes and while they might make sense in other areas of the city, they only make traffic conditions along that stretch worse.

Timeline of arrests