Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the provincial government will be curtailing bike lanes to get traffic moving. While bike lanes will continue to exist, Ford said the Ontario government wants to have all forms of transportation move quickly. “And that’s what it comes down to,” said Ford at a Monday press conference. “Making sure you aren’t putting bike lanes in the middle of some of the busiest streets in the country.” Rather than have bike lanes on busy streets, he said they should be on secondary routes. He pointed out former Toronto mayor Rob Ford put in more bike lanes than his predecessor David Miller, but he did not do them down major roads and put them on secondary arterial roads and side streets. While certain politicians have taken a different approach, Doug said they should copy what Rob did. He said politicians should not “clog up traffic just because of their political beliefs.” Doug followed up by saying it is hogwash to argue removing bike lanes will not reduce traffic. “I know the city like the back of my hand,” he said. “You go down on Hospital Row, University Avenue, paramedics are trying to get someone to the hospital as quickly as possible.” He said Toronto took out a traffic lane, put bike lanes in, cut it down to one, and made it jammed. While University Avenue is packed, he encouraged people to go onto Bloor Street and see the disrupted businesses. Global News confirmed on Friday the Ontario government is working on legislation to halt the construction of new bike lanes on city streets.Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria will bring forward the new bike lane regulations as part of his next major bill, which the provincial government has said will focus on reducing congestion.The law is set to be titled the Reducing Gridlock and Saving You Time Act and could be tabled when the Ontario Legislature resumes at the end of October.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the provincial government will be curtailing bike lanes to get traffic moving. While bike lanes will continue to exist, Ford said the Ontario government wants to have all forms of transportation move quickly. “And that’s what it comes down to,” said Ford at a Monday press conference. “Making sure you aren’t putting bike lanes in the middle of some of the busiest streets in the country.” Rather than have bike lanes on busy streets, he said they should be on secondary routes. He pointed out former Toronto mayor Rob Ford put in more bike lanes than his predecessor David Miller, but he did not do them down major roads and put them on secondary arterial roads and side streets. While certain politicians have taken a different approach, Doug said they should copy what Rob did. He said politicians should not “clog up traffic just because of their political beliefs.” Doug followed up by saying it is hogwash to argue removing bike lanes will not reduce traffic. “I know the city like the back of my hand,” he said. “You go down on Hospital Row, University Avenue, paramedics are trying to get someone to the hospital as quickly as possible.” He said Toronto took out a traffic lane, put bike lanes in, cut it down to one, and made it jammed. While University Avenue is packed, he encouraged people to go onto Bloor Street and see the disrupted businesses. Global News confirmed on Friday the Ontario government is working on legislation to halt the construction of new bike lanes on city streets.Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria will bring forward the new bike lane regulations as part of his next major bill, which the provincial government has said will focus on reducing congestion.The law is set to be titled the Reducing Gridlock and Saving You Time Act and could be tabled when the Ontario Legislature resumes at the end of October.
