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National Observer
5 days ago
- Automotive
- National Observer
Bike lanes win as Ford and Smith waste time on a losing battle
Of all the asinine battles the premiers of Ontario and Alberta have chosen to fight, the war against bike lanes has got to be one of the most specious. Now that the courts have smacked Ontario Premier Doug Ford upside the head for trying to remove bike lanes along Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street, Ford and his Alberta counterpart Danielle Smith should surrender and move on to more important matters. Both have a lot on their plates at the moment; housing shortages, a bruising trade war with the US and threats from wildfires to name just a few. But that hasn't stopped Ford and now Smith from targeting bike lanes they blame for gridlock problems plaguing both cities. They studiously ignore evidence to the contrary that shows encouraging cycling with lanes that make biking safer invariably means fewer cars on the road. But this battle has never been evidence-based. It's all about politics and the divide between the interests of voters living in city centres, who are less likely to vote for Ford or Smith, and those in the car-dependent suburbs who support them. How bicycles, which predated cars powered by internal combustion engines by about 70 years, became a woke adversary of the suburban right is a bit of a mystery. But I suspect it's wrapped up in support for developers and sprawl and fealty to the oil and gas industry. The car versus bike culture war is playing out in the US as well. The climate publication Grist revealed this spring the US Department of Transportation is freezing grants for bike lanes and other projects that 'improve the conditions for environmental justice communities or actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.' The freeze is of a piece with Trump's Drill, Baby, Drill plans to boost oil and gas production and fossil fuel consumption. Bikes naturally lose out to internal combustion engines under this scenario; the Trump administration is also trying to suspend a multibillion-dollar rollout of electric vehicle charging stations and is ending tax rebates for EV purchases. Ford, who supports low-density housing in far-flung suburbs, started his crusade against bike paths before the spring election, using cycling infrastructure as a scapegoat for Toronto's horrific traffic congestion. In late 2024, just before voters went to the polls, he drafted a law with a Trumpian-sounding name and overpromise — the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act. The law initially dictated that Ontario cities seek provincial approval for all new bike infrastructure requiring the removal of a traffic lane and granted the province the power to review and remove existing bike lanes deemed to be impeding vehicular traffic. Cycling advocates filed a Charter challenge, arguing removing protected bike lanes on the busy thoroughfares would endanger cyclists. Perhaps anticipating a loss, the province amended the act at the last hour to change 'removing' to 'reconfiguring' the bike lanes and tried to argue that with the new wording, the court challenge was moot. But Judge Paul Schabas used his discretion to rule on the case anyhow, wanting to send a message. He found removing the bike lanes would inevitably lead to more cyclists being killed or injured and pointed out government officials knew this and covered their butts against lawsuits with 'immunity provisions.' Schabas further noted the government ignored evidence that ripping out the bike lanes would actually make traffic worse, not better. Ontario's battle against bike lanes has always ignored facts and evidence. Now Alberta is making the same specious arguments. It's high time they both stopped. @ writes for @ Ford should be embarrassed and Smith should walk back similar plans to remove bike lanes that impede automobile traffic in Edmonton and Calgary. 'We shouldn't be removing roads to create bike lanes if that means slowing down our transportation networks and adding to people's daily commutes,' she wrote in a Facebook post last week. Smith's statement would make sense if there was strong evidence to back it. However, a study of driving times on Calgary streets where temporary bike lanes were added found mere seconds of delay for motorists. That's a small price to pay to encourage more people to cycle. Vancouver went through its own bike lane wars nearly two decades ago when Gregor Robertson, a newly elected mayor and ardent cyclist, used his mandate to massively expand Vancouver's bike infrastructure. The initial pushback from board of trade types who thought cycling would kill business quickly subsided and the city's cycling craze spread throughout the region. Between 2019 and 2023, 466 lane kilometres of bikeway were added to Metro Vancouver's cycling network. Today, one in four people describe themselves as regular cyclists. Even Ken Sim, Vancouver's right of centre, fossil-fuel-promoting mayor, has not cancelled the city's bike lane expansion program. It's too popular. Just last week, a new protected lane opened on the Granville Bridge. It's utilitarian, but safe, which is the whole point. Toronto and Calgary's harsher winters and cycling may mean cycling never catches on as an all-season transportation mode, except for the extremely hardy. But even if residents could cycle safely eight or nine months a year, the number of trips by bike would rise — a cheap win for population and climate health. As much as they hate to give in, Ford and Smith should heed the court ruling, retreat, and let the bike lanes roll.
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Judge strikes down Doug Ford's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes as unconstitutional
Premier Doug Ford 's months-long campaign against several Toronto bike lanes was dealt a serious setback Wednesday when a judge ruled their removal would be unconstitutional. A decision by Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas found that sections of the Ontario government's Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, violated the Charter by infringing on cyclists' rights to life and security of person. Part of the bill, which became law in November, calls for the removal of protected bike lanes on Yonge, University and Bloor Streets. The Charter challenge of that plan was launched by cycling advocates , including CycleToronto, in December. The government said it will appeal the court's decision. 'We were elected by the people of Ontario with a clear mandate to restore lanes of traffic and get drivers moving by moving bike lanes off of major roads to secondary roads,' a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said. In his decision, Schabas found that 'the government has led no evidence to rebut the applicants' compelling position, supported by evidence, that removing the protected bike lanes will cause cyclists to ride in more dangerous mixed traffic … and that cyclists will be injured, and worse, if the protected target bike lanes are removed.' The decision does not guarantee the right to a bike lane, nor does it prevent the Ford government from blocking any new bike lanes from being built, Schabas explained in his ruling. 'The government has the right to make decisions about roads and traffic infrastructure,' Schabas wrote, 'but where the government takes action that puts people at risk, and does so arbitrarily, its actions may be restrained by the Charter.' The Ford government had attempted to work around the Charter challenge , changing the legislation in June from 'the Minister shall remove the bicycle lanes located on Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street,' to 'the Minister shall restore a lane for motor vehicle traffic on Bloor Street, University Avenue, Avenue Road, and Yonge Street, in the City of Toronto, by reconfiguring the bicycle lanes.' Schabas did not buy the argument from the government that this would render the Charter challenge moot. 'I find that any 'reconfiguring' which has the effect of removing the physical separation of the target bike lanes from motor vehicle traffic for the purpose of reducing congestion is also a breach of the Charter,' he wrote. 'It is reasonable to conclude that people who cycle will be injured and killed when lanes for motor vehicles are installed and protected bike lanes are removed,' he added. Schabas pointed to expert evidence, presented by both the government and the cycling advocates, that removal of the bike lanes would 'substantially increase the number of collisions for all road users and will not achieve the objective of reducing congestion.' Schabas also ordered the government to pay $200,000 in legal fees to the cycling advocates and their legal team. The Ford government's appeal will go to the Ontario Court of Appeals. It also has the option of using the notwithstanding clause, which it controversially used in 2021 in an attempt to restrict third-party advertising and in 2022 to pre-emptively prevent an education worker strike. Michael Longfield, executive director of CycleToronto, called Schabas's ruling on Wednesday a 'major victory.' 'I think it's maybe a good moment for the premier to stop and reconsider,' Longfield said. '(Canada is) facing an unprecedented trade war and I think there are other things we need the premier of Ontario focused on and working on rather than obsessing over 19 kilometres of bike lanes and meddling with local politics in Ontario.' The Ford government had previously opened the door to finding a compromise with the city to reintroduce vehicle lanes on Bloor, University and Yonge streets without removing protected bike lanes. The city is 'reviewing the court decision and the impact on our ongoing discussions with the province,' a spokesperson for Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement. 'Mayor Chow maintains that the city of Toronto and its elected council should be the ones making decisions about municipal infrastructure,' the spokesperson added. The premier and his government campaigned on removing bike lanes in Toronto's downtown core during February's election. The provincial government argued that road space dedicated to cyclists was taking away road space from drivers and cyclists should instead be diverted to 'secondary roads.' Bike lane users Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo and Cycle Toronto filed their Charter challenge with the Superior Court in December , arguing that the new law 'puts lives at risk.' Schabas granted a temporary injunction in April, preventing the province from removing the lanes while he decided on the Charter case. The province's appeal of that injunction was rejected by a panel of three Superior Court judges on July 9. Government documents released as part of the injunction hearing warned that removing the bike lanes may not ease congestion, and instead could increase the risk of collisions and negatively impact businesses. Ford had previously scolded "unelected judges" — taking aim at Schabas — when the bike lane removals were blocked by the injunction, and floated the idea of electing judges to the bench. Those comments earned him a rare rebuke from the province's top justices, who reaffirmed the need for judicial independence. 'Judges should not determine items like bike lanes … because of ideology, they decide to put an injunction in,' the premier said at a press conference in May. 'Enough is enough.'
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Ford government's attempt to remove Toronto bike lanes is unconstitutional, judge rules
Premier Doug Ford and his government's attempt to remove bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street is unconstitutional, a Superior Court judge has ruled. In a decision released Wednesday, Justice Paul Schabas found that sections of the Ontario government's Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, violated the Charter by infringing on cyclists' rights to life and security of person. That means the province cannot move forward with its months-long attempt to remove bike lanes on some of the city's arterial roads — for now. The government said it will appeal the court's decision. 'We were elected by the people of Ontario with a clear mandate to restore lanes of traffic and get drivers moving by moving bike lanes off of major roads to secondary roads,' a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said. In his decision, Schabas found that 'the government has led no evidence to rebut the applicants' compelling position, supported by evidence, that removing the protected bike lanes will cause cyclists to ride in more dangerous mixed traffic … and that cyclists will be injured, and worse, if the protected target bike lanes are removed.' The premier and his government campaigned on removing bike lanes in Toronto's downtown core, passing Bill 212 in November. The provincial government argued that road space dedicated to cyclists was taking away road space from drivers and cyclists should instead be diverted to 'secondary roads.' Cycle Toronto and bike lane users Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo filed their Charter challenge with the Superior Court in December, arguing that the new law 'puts lives at risk.' Government documents released as part of the injunction hearing warned that removing the bike lanes may not ease congestion, and instead could increase the risk of collisions and negatively impact businesses. More to come. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Star
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Judge strikes down Doug Ford's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes as unconstitutional
Premier Doug Ford 's months-long campaign against several Toronto bike lanes was dealt a serious setback Wednesday when a judge ruled their removal would be unconstitutional. A decision by Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas found that sections of the Ontario government's Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, violated the Charter by infringing on cyclists' rights to life and security of person. Part of the bill, which became law in November, calls for the removal of protected bike lanes on Yonge, University and Bloor Streets.
National Observer
09-07-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Ontario court halts Ford's plan to tear out Toronto bike lanes
Protected bike lanes in Toronto must remain in place for now, an Ontario judge said on Tuesday. The Ford government had appealed a previous ruling that ordered the bike lanes to remain, but failed. A superior court judge said the bike lanes can't be removed until an ongoing Charter challenge is resolved. The challenge, brought by Cycle Toronto and two individual applicants, targets the Ford government's anti-bike lane legislation, Bill 212 — the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act — and argues that removing the lanes violates Charter rights to life and security of the person, and puts cyclists' lives at risk. The bill grants the Ford government unilateral authority to remove municipal bike lanes. One of the provisions requires the provincial transportation minister to remove bike lanes on the three major Toronto streets. The government claims the change will alleviate traffic congestion and improve emergency response times, but no evidence has been provided to support this; meanwhile, opponents introduced government reports into evidence that suggested the bike lane removals could cause a rise in collisions without even saving any commuting time. In April, an Ontario superior court judge granted a temporary injunction to prevent the government from removing the bike lanes while the case is being considered. In May, the Ford government sought leave to appeal the injunction. But in Tuesday's decision, the court rejected the request and upheld the injunction. Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, told Canada's National Observer that the court's decision to reject the Ford government's appeal is a strong signal the case is being taken seriously. 'We're obviously very pleased about this decision,' Longfield said. 'With this legal decision, I think it's a good opportunity for the province to sort of abandon this bad faith culture war and instead collaborate with municipalities on real, data-driven solutions to give people more transportation options.' A superior court judge said the bike lanes can't be removed until an ongoing Charter challenge is resolved. Dakota Brasier, director of media relations for Ontario's transportation minister, said the government will continue with the design work needed to begin removing bike lanes and get some of the province's 'busiest roads moving as soon as possible.' 'While we respect the court's decision, our government was elected with a clear mandate to get people out of traffic by restoring driving lanes,' Brasier said. Bronwyn Roe, a lawyer at Ecojustice representing the applicants, welcomed the court's decision and said the evidence clearly shows that removing heavily used, protected bike lanes on major Toronto routes would put cyclists' lives at risk. 'The government cannot be allowed to jeopardize the safety of Ontarians or violate the Charter-protected rights to life and security of the person,' Roe said in a statement. Looking ahead, Longfield stressed the importance of a full court victory, saying it could help set a precedent for how cycling infrastructure is protected in the future. At the same time, he believed there was still time for the province to reconsider whether the legislation was truly in the public interest. The City of Toronto estimates the cost to taxpayers for removing the bike lanes could reach $48 million, with the city having already invested $27 million in their construction. Restoring vehicle lanes will likely offer minimal improvements in travel time and undermine the public health, environmental and economic benefits of active transportation, the report warns. Bike Share Toronto has experienced impressive growth, with memberships doubling from 18,000 in 2020 to more than 35,000 in 2023, the report notes. Total trips by bike share surged from 2.9 million in 2020 to 5.7 million in 2023.
