T
Premier Doug Ford plans to pass laws that will review bike lanes and scrap some of them that he claims cause traffic congestion.
The controversial Bloor Street West bike lane and others that cause traffic congestion may soon be gone if provincial Premier Doug Ford has his way.
Side-stepping municipal politicians, Ford has promised upcoming laws that prohibit future bike lanes; including those planned for Parkside Drive, The Queensway, Dundas Street W., and parts of Lake Shore Blvd. W.
Ford recently said his government doesn’t just plan to block the installation of new bike lanes in some cases, but also intends to remove routes that have already been built — claiming they lead to traffic in Ontario cities reaching a “standstill.”
City officials say more cyclists are using the lanes and more are being built.
Hundreds of South Etobicoke residents attended a meeting last month hosted by Councillor and Deputy Mayor Amber Morley. The gathering at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute consisted of vocal supporters and those who are anti cycling.
Small businesses on Bloor Street W. have been complaining that their earnings plummeted due to a lack of parking beside bike lanes. Store owners said their customers have to park blocks away, which is especially hard for seniors or those with mobility issues.
Ford plans to remove the Bloor Street W. bike-lanes which he says causes traffic congestion and a dip in small business sales.
“It isn’t enough to keep an eye on future bike lanes,” Ford told the Empire Club on October 17. “We need to and will remove and replace existing bike lanes on primary roads that are bringing traffic in our cities to a standstill.”
The province has unveiled a plan to limit new bike lanes in Ontario’s towns and cities by making municipalities demonstrate they won’t negatively impact the flow of traffic on busy roads.
The government planned to table the proposed law on October 21, which would create “the authority to require” information on “an existing bike lane that previously removed a traffic lane” on a local road.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Morley are both cyclists, and have expressed their support for bike lanes plus the addition of more.