Ontario eyes barring new bike lanes where car lanes would be cut

September 19, 2024 Canuck

The Ontario government is considering bringing forward legislation that could prohibit the installation of bike lanes when lanes for motor vehicles are removed as a result, sources say.

CBC News has obtained internal government draft documents indicating such a proposal has been under consideration, which several sources with knowledge of the proposed bill confirmed. It is not, however, clear if the measure has been formally brought before cabinet.

The provincial government declined to comment to CBC News on the measures outlined in the documents.

In Toronto and its surrounding areas, gridlock has been a continuing headache and political issue. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said his government intends to address the issue in upcoming legislation.

The documents viewed by CBC News also outline possible measures to speed the building of designated priority highway projects, such as Highway 413. The possibility of allowing 24/7 construction is one of the measures the government is mulling, sources say.

‘Deeply regressive’ proposal

Any move to limit the placement of bike lanes seems likely to prove contentious with the cycling community and with environmental advocates. Tim Gray, the executive director of Environmental Defence, said a move to restrict bike-lane placement would be “deeply regressive” and take Ontario in the wrong direction.

A cyclist rides along a bike lane on Toronto's Eglinton Avenue in November 2023. — A person rides in a bike lane separated from vehicular traffic on Eglinton Avenue, in Toronto on Nov. 20, 2023. (Paul Smith/CBC)

“Any kind of return to a time when our only transportation option was cars would be a huge, huge mistake,” he said.

He also fears the dangers that could result from cyclists who would not have dedicated lanes to ride in.

“It means dead people,” he said.

Matti Siemiatycki, professor of geography and planning at the University of Toronto, offered a similar assessment if such a policy were enacted.

“That’s an extreme measure that will have very little — if any — impact, on traffic, but it could have a huge impact on cyclist safety,” he said, noting that six cyclists have been killed in Toronto this year.

‘The car is king’

Siemiatycki said “this government has signalled that the car is king,” pointing to prior steps the governing Progressive Conservatives (PCs) have taken to ease costs for drivers.

He sees the PCs as making a clear play for the votes of motorists, and believes the policy would also appeal to many drivers frustrated with congestion on the roads.

Yet, Siemiatycki said “targeting bike lanes … is really not an appropriate way to be going.”

The PCs are halfway through their current mandate.

There has been speculation that Ford will call an early election, in a bid to lead his party to power for a third consecutive term.

The Ontario premier has not been definitive as to whether he would call an election ahead of schedule.

Absent an early election call, Ontarians are not due to return to the polls until 2026.

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