From a comment to the comments section of BlogTO at: http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/07/jarvis_bike_lanes_to_be_eliminated/

Frankly, painted lines aren't much more than psychological window dressing and offer limited protection to cyclists. I agree with G above. Ride in the lane. That way there are two options for motorists; either change lanes to pass, or kill you/me. I've always found that they will pass you in the left lane and have had more 'close calls' in bike lanes and 'hugging the curb' than riding about where the cars right wheel goes. By the same token, respect the rules of the road. When someone is making a right-turn stay behind them. Don't try and sneak by on their right--even if they're not making a right turn. If there's no bike lane then you/we are traffic. If we stop this bickering and realize that there are bad drivers and good drivers; bad cyclists and good cyclists, we can all make use of the roads--bike lane or not--and get where we're going without killing each other. At least that's what I'd hope and like to think about my fellow Torontoians.