A motion to narrow Jarvis Street and add bike lanes to the downtown thoroughfare has passes at Toronto City Council.
The vote to file an environmental study on narrowing the street passed 28 to 16 just after 6 p.m. Monday. The motion sought the removal of one of the street's five car lanes, improved sidewalks and lanes for bicycles.
Critics, including Don Valley East Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, say Mayor David Miller and his supporters are waging a war on drivers.
Scarborough-Agincourt Coun. Mike Del Grande, who also opposed the motion, suggested that reduced driving capacity would lessen tourism and be bad for business-owners on the street.
However, proponents of the motion say the bike lanes will go far in easing transportation to the downtown core for cyclists.
Monday is Toronto's official Bike to Work Day and the first day of the city's Bike Month.
