New Municipal Bike Lane Projects in Ontario May Require Provincial Approval

Cyclists ride in a bike lane in Toronto on Oct. 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Ontario municipalities may soon need to obtain provincial approval before altering car lanes to accommodate bicycles, according to Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

The province is introducing new legislation as part of its upcoming fall sitting in a bid to tackle gridlock on congested roads, Sarkaria announced at an Oct. 15 press conference. If the legislation is approved, municipalities would be required to demonstrate proposed bike lanes will not have a negative impact on vehicle traffic.

“At a time when we need to be adding more lanes of traffic, we need to ask, why are so many municipalities removing them,” Sarkaria said.

“Strategically placed bike lanes are a vital part of every city, offering residents a safe and reliable way to move around. What cities should not be doing, however, is taking away lanes of traffic on our most congested roads.”

Sarkaria said there was an “explosion” of bike lanes during the pandemic when fewer vehicles were on Ontario roads. While Sarkaria said it’s important for Ontario’s commuters to have a choice on how they get to work, he stressed that bike lanes should not come at the expense of lanes designated for vehicular traffic.

He described lanes along Cedar and Joseph Streets in downtown Kitchener, and O’Connor Street in downtown Ottawa, as routes where the implementation of bike lanes has diverted high-traffic space previously meant for motorists.

He said bike lanes have also hampered traffic on Bloor, Harbord and College streets in downtown Toronto.

Sarkaria said bike lanes should be installed on side streets rather than main roadways.

Premier Doug Ford, who lives in Etobicoke, said during a Sept. 23 press conference that putting bike lanes on busy roads may make it more difficult for first responders to get to their destinations.

He cited University Avenue, where Toronto General Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital are located, as an example, saying that since the road was cut back to one lane to accommodate cyclists “it’s jammed like crazy,” making it more difficult for ambulances to get through.

He said it’s a similar story on multiple other roadways throughout the Greater Toronto Area with paramedics, police, and fire crews regularly getting stuck in traffic.

City of Toronto spokesperson Laura McQuillan said gauging the impact of bike lanes on traffic “is challenging.”

“Given Toronto’s growth and the significant amount of construction … motor vehicle travel times have and could continue to increase without changes to road configurations,” she said via email.

She noted that emergency services have not raised any concerns about traffic on University Avenue.

“Emergency services are accustomed to maneuvering through a variety of road conditions throughout the city on a daily basis and will continue to take the route that provides the fastest response based on the specific conditions at the time of dispatch,” she said.

Bike Lane Approvals

Deciding to implement a bike lane is not a quick or easy process, McQuillan said. The changes to University Avenue in 2020, for instance, were made in consultation with the city’s emergency services partners and administrators of hospitals along the corridor.

Once implemented, the changes were evaluated over a 12-month period to determine their impact on traffic. She said the data showed “limited to no impacts on motor vehicle travel times.”

McQuillan said there is always a lot to consider when making changes to city roads.

“In Toronto streets where there is limited public right-of-way, particularly in denser areas of the city, it can be challenging to implement new bikeways without the consideration of some changes to motor vehicle lanes,” she said.

“But even before a motor vehicle lane is considered for removal, staff review the potential for parallel routes and other potential designs to mitigate any major impacts.”

McQuillan said the city would like to see the province’s proposed bike lane legislation “before commenting on it,” adding that the city would “continue to work closely with our Provincial partners to understand and address their concerns while ensuring the safety of all road users.”

Sarkaria hinted during the Oct. 15 press conference that existing bike lanes on some of  Toronto’s main streets could be reviewed by the province.

He said the lanes would stay “in right now,” but suggested the province could instruct the city to remove them in the future if traffic data shows the lanes’ are negatively impacting driver travel times.

Sarkaria did not say what data he was referring to and the ministry did not respond to a request for clarification prior to publication.

The pending legislation, set to be introduced when the legislature resumes Oct. 21, will also include a proposal to increase speed limits to 110 kilometres per hour on all 400-series highways “where it is safe to do so.” Sarkaria described the potential speed limit change as another measure that would address traffic congestion.