Toronto Politician on Bike Lanes and the Future of Cycling

He has clipped on his panniers, buckled his helmet and set off on an hour-long pant to his cluttered office in city hall, where he has become a powerful figure. He's chair of the city's works committee, which oversees all of Toronto's infrastructure, including its roads.

A growing number of councillors see cyclists less as large flies on their windshields and bicycles more as a clean, healthy and -- most importantly -- legitimate form of urban transportation.

"The political stars are aligned," says De Baeremaeker, who pulls up into his underground parking space at city hall on his 21-speed. "People's world view has changed," he says. "The future for cycling is very, very good."

Getting smashed by a truck or van is a big worry of De Baeremaeker's. That's probably because he was hit two winters ago. He had barely pedalled out of City Hall on his way home when someone opened a cab door without looking and sent him flying. He landed under the wheels of another taxi, which, thankfully, wasn't moving. If he had been in a bike lane, it wouldn't have happened. "Bike lanes aren't just a frill. They save people's lives," says De Baeremaeker.