A full week after Toronto was buried under a record 60 cm of snow, the city’s cycling network remains a chaotic obstacle course. While car lanes have largely returned to business as usual, the corridors meant to protect cyclists have become “snow graveyards,” sparking outrage among daily commuters and delivery workers.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Breakdown: Why Cyclists are Fuming
- The “Squeeze” Effect: Blocked lanes are forcing cyclists into live traffic. On streets like Bloor and University, riders are sandwiched between towering snowbanks and cars struggling for traction.
- The Plow Paradox: In many cases, the lanes were cleared, only to be filled back up by road plows pushing “windrows” (heavy slush and ice) off the main road and directly into the cycling path.
- Courier Crisis: For Toronto’s thousands of gig workers, these lanes aren’t a luxury—they’re an office. Many are reporting “survival mode” conditions as they navigate heavy loads through frozen ruts.
By the Numbers
| Metric | Status |
| Snowfall Total | ~60 cm (Historical Record) |
| Official Priority | High (Target: 8 hours post-storm) |
| Reality Check | 7+ days and many lanes remain impassable |
| The Barrier | Lack of “snow hauling” capacity to move, not just push, the volume |
The City’s Defense
City officials are leaning on the “Significant Weather Event” declaration, which effectively hits the “pause” button on standard service-level agreements. The sheer volume of snow means it can’t just be plowed; it has to be physically loaded into trucks and hauled to designated snow melts—a slow, expensive process that has left the cycling network at the back of the line.
What’s Next?
Advocacy groups like Cycle Toronto are calling for a “minimum grid” that stays clear regardless of the storm’s size, arguing that safety shouldn’t be seasonal.
