The Toronto Cyclists Union released a legal opinion (pdf)  by Laura Bowman today which outlines the case that the City of Toronto must conduct a Schedule C Environmental Assessment in order to remove the Jarvis Street bike lanes and re-install the centre reversible lane. The bike lanes have been slated to be removed this summer.

In an article on spacingtoronto.ca, Mathew Blackett praises the action, writing, “instead of the typical cycling activist action of taking over an intersection and holding bikes high overhead to piss off drivers, the Union is taking the game to the City.”

The Union has given the city ten days to respond after which they will submit their request to the Minister of the Environment.

Read the Toronto Cyclists Union’s press release and the legal opinion here.

UPDATE: April 5, 2011

This issue has received a lot of media attention. Read stories here: Toronto Star, National Post,  Torontoist, ibiketo.ca,  Toronto Sun, insidetoronto.com,  Now Magazine, CBC, CTV, 680 News, CityTV, Open File, BlogTO, Toronto Life

Filed in: Environment

Tags: Bike lanes, bikeTO, Environmental assessment, Environmental Assessment Act, TOpoli, Toronto City Hall