Ontario Gov’t Passes Law to Limit Bike Lanes

Cyclists ride in a bike lane in Toronto on Oct. 12, 2017. The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette

Ontario has passed a law that requires municipalities to obtain approval before installing bike lanes on arterial roads and may also lead to the removal of some current Toronto lanes.

The legislation, known as Bill 212, also limits cyclists’ ability to sue the government for eliminating bike lanes if someone is injured or killed on parts of the road where a lane has been removed.

The government fast-tracked the bill through the legislature and it received royal assent on Nov. 25 after passing its third reading by a vote of 66-27.

Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced the legislation last month as part of the province’s plan to tackle gridlock on congested roads, particularly in Toronto and surrounding areas.

The bill sets the wheels in motion for the province to eliminate bike lanes on sections of Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue without having to consult the City of Toronto.

Premier Doug Ford has been vocal for months about the need to address the congestion on Toronto roads by removing bike lanes on major roads.

The province is focusing on “three or four roads” to get traffic moving, Ford said at an unrelated Nov. 25 press conference in Burlington, Ont., adding that Ontario is working collaboratively with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

“She believes the Bloor Street West [lanes] should not be there, the previous mayor admits that he made a mistake,” Ford said.

“It’s not anything against bike people; just go on the secondary roads. One percent of the population cannot take up 50 percent of the roads.”

No Lawsuits

The legislation has received a few modifications since it was introduced last month. The most debated part of the bill was the amendment introduced last week to prevent lawsuits due to the removal of bike lanes.

New Democrat MPP Jessica Bell questioned the addition during debate of the bill Nov. 25.

“The government wants to block lawsuits arising from people being injured and killed because of the removal of the Bloor, Yonge, and University Avenue bike lanes,” she said. “It shows the Conservatives know full well that incidents of injury and death are going to go up.”

Sarkaria said it is better for cyclists “to use secondary roads, which is also safer for them.”

“We’ve got to get this city moving,” he said. “It’s about making sure that everyone is safe on the roads.”

Many cycling advocates have spoken out against the removal of bike lanes and hundreds of enthusiasts showed up outside Queens Park Nov. 23 to protest the legislation.

The protest was organized by Fight for Bikes, a group started by two University of Toronto students to oppose the bill.

The founders, Zev Godfrey and Eva Stanger-Ross, said bike lanes help many Torontonians who can’t afford vehicles or daily transit use to get around the city.

“Bike lanes … allow us to navigate the city and afford to live here, if they are under threat, so are we,” they said on the group’s website.

The legislation also contains language allowing the province to expedite the construction of priority highway projects including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

Highway 413 will extend from Highway 400 in the east to the Highway 401/407 express toll route interchange area in the west and will boast four to six lanes, connecting the regions of York, Peel, and Halton.

The project will include a four-kilometre extension to Highway 410 and a three kilometre extension to Highway 427 for a total of 59 kilometres for the corridor.

The province has already begun work on the Bradford Bypass, which will connect Highway 400 and Highway 404 through the York Region. It is also set to extend Highway 413 from Highway 400 in the east to the Highway 401/407 express toll route interchange area in the west beginning in 2025.