After a failed experiment that saw barricades for motor vehicles taken down on Sunday bike routes, the city has backpedalled.
For years, the barriers made it clear to motorists they weren’t welcome on the four designated routes on Sundays.
This spring, a new bylaw gave police the power to ticket drivers caught on the routes, but also did away with the barricades which were replaced with street signs announcing the closures.
Local residents and cyclists complained the signs weren’t working and said Sunday traffic on the routes became worse than ever.
"For the first few weeks when they just had the signs on the stop sign, it was pretty bad,” said cyclist Garrett Elias on Wellington Crescent.
Sunday, the barricades were back up on all four routes and people noticed a difference immediately.
"Today, I don't think I've seen as many as two cars on the crescent,” said Doug Skoog who lives on Wellington.
Skoog says everyone he knows who lives on Wellington Crescent contacted city council to complain when the barricades were down.
"We had the police out there numerous times but the police just couldn't ticket that many people,” said councillor John Orlikow. “It was an impossible situation so quite quickly we realized the barricades had to go back up."
Within weeks, a unanimous vote at city council called for the barricades to be brought back.
In addition to Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Scotia Street and Lyndale Drive are also designated Sunday cycling routes.
Barricades will now be in place for all of them every Sunday and holiday until the end ofThanksgiving.
