'Not a good use of taxpayers' dollar': Toronto mayor calls out province's plan to remove bike lanes
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is slamming the province's plan to unilaterally remove bike lanes along some of the city's major streets, calling it "arbitrary” while warning that it could ultimately make congestion worse.
The Doug Ford government tabled a bill last week that would force municipalities to ask for permission from the province first to install bike lanes when it would lead to the removal of a lane of vehicle traffic. On Thursday, the government added a new regulation to that proposed legislation which would allow it to remove sections of bike lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue and restore them as lanes for vehicle traffic.
"We have to pass the legislation and it is our intention to move as quickly as possible," Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on Friday morning.
"Look, Bloor, Yonge and University are some of the most travelled-upon streets, not just in Toronto, but in all of North America, so as a province, when we look at the city of Toronto, it's productivity and getting people to and from work, we need to improve that."
Speaking to reporters at an unrelated news conference on Friday, Chow expressed her opposition to the regulation and that the city is willing to negotiate and collaborate with the province.
"Ripping up our roads are going to be costly, make congestion worse and make it less safe for cyclists and drivers. The province's plan is arbitrary and not based on any evidence. It's not a good use of taxpayers' dollar," Chow told reporters at an unrelated news conference.
With respect to the bike lanes along the targeted streets in the province's proposal, Chow says they have undergone at least three to four years of study.
"Different councillors, a different mayor, different council, before the last municipal election, since the last municipal election, and the by-election have all said this is the way to go. So the evidence, obviously, is there.”
Toronto significantly expanded its bike lane infrastructure in recent years and currently has a plan to provide 100 kilometres of either new or upgraded bikeways by 2027. The city's long-term plan also looks to add 500 kilometres of new bike lanes along major corridors by 2041 – a goal that has almost been met halfway.
The Association of Municipalities has accused the Ford government of a "significant overreach" of power for its bike lane legislation.
On Friday, Chow noted planning bike lanes falls under a municipality's purview and not the province’s. Municipalities themselves, however, are effectively creatures of the province.
"If they really want to assist the City of Toronto, dealing with congestion, for example, can grant the approval of what the police and the city council have called for, which is to allow us to use webcam to stop those illegal blocking the box folks, so that we can charge them," Chow said.
"That will make a big difference, because there are any number of people that irresponsibly stop at no stopping sign, blocking the entire traffic. They've blocked the box and no one can go anywhere, it's completely paralyzed the entire intersection and nothing can move. Those are frustrating things."
With files from CTV News Toronto's Siobhan Morris and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Meet Decoy Ohtani, perhaps the most valuable pet of the World Series
The Dodgers' most valuable pet: Decoy Ohtani, dog of Shohei, has become a fixture of Dodgers — and dog — fandom.
Bradley Barton's sentence upheld by appeals court in 2011 death of Cindy Gladue
An appeal has been denied to extend the sentence of an Ontario trucker who killed a woman in his Edmonton hotel room in 2011.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
Human remains found in Markham, Ont. in 1980 belonged to prison escapee: police
More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
Manitoba RCMP identify infant human remains, asking public for help with investigation
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
More than half of human trafficking incidents in Canada remain unsolved
More than half of human trafficking incidents remained unsolved in Canada by police as the number of incidents increased over the past decade, according to new data released Friday.
'I couldn't stay home': Canadian with no prior military training joins Ukrainian forces
In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.