New bike lanes in Ontario without provincial approval to be banned

Ontario government to require cities to receive provincial permission to install bike lanes on roads

New protected bike lane on Bloor Street in Toronto. (Google Maps)

Moving forward, the Government of Ontario will ban municipal governments across the province from installing new bike lanes without prior approval from the provincial government.

This new policy, unique to Canada, specifically applies to new bike lanes that take up existing road space previously dedicated to vehicle traffic lanes.

Today, Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative-led provincial government formally announced the proposed legislation, which is expected to see approval later this fall.

The aim of the legislation is to reduce the perceived impact on road traffic congestion due to bike lanes, with the provincial government asserting that the surge in bike lane projects by municipal governments in recent years has directly resulted in increased congestion.

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In order to receive approval for a bike lane project on an existing roadway, municipal governments will be required to provide proof that the proposed bike lane will not have a negative impact on vehicle traffic.

“Cities in Ontario have seen an explosion of bike lanes, including many that were installed during the pandemic when fewer vehicles were on the road and their impacts on traffic were unclear,” said Minister of Transportation of Ontario Prabmeet Sarkaria in a statement.

“Too many drivers are now stuck in gridlock as a result, which is why our government is bringing informed decision-making and oversight to bike lanes as well as taking steps to increase speed limits safely and clean up potholes.”

In a post on X this past weekend, Ford stated, “We need to bring sanity back to bike lane decisions.”

Too many drivers across Ontario are stuck in gridlock for hours every day and bike lanes are making things worse.

Next week, we’re introducing legislation that would require cities to get provincial approval for any new bike lanes that require removing a lane of traffic. pic.twitter.com/TBR7FiLqoz

— Prabmeet Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria) October 15, 2024

We need to bring sanity back to bike lane decisions. https://t.co/A2dNCI1Vgy

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 13, 2024

The legislation appears to target municipal governments that install new bike lanes in place of vehicle traffic lanes on major arterial roads with significant vehicle traffic volumes, especially within the City of Toronto.

From 2019 to 2021, the City of Toronto rolled out a plan to install about 65 km of new bike lanes. For the 2022 to 2024 period, the municipal government has a plan to build about 100 km of new bike lanes, with the expectation that about 75 km of new bike lanes will be completed by the end of this year. For the 2025 to 2027 period, the City has plans for an additional 100 km of new bike lanes.

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow responded to the Ford government’s controversial policy in a post on X today.

“I do not support limiting city powers. It’s always better when we work together to get things right. To tackle congestion and keep people safe on city roads, we need all types of transportation,” wrote Chow.

“The Province should focus on their job of finally getting the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRTs open, which will have a huge impact on congestion in our city.”

I do not support limiting city powers. It’s always better when we work together to get things right. To tackle congestion and keep people safe on city roads we need all types of transportation. The Province should focus on their job of finally getting the Eglinton Crosstown and…

— Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) October 15, 2024

Canada’s provincial governments can give municipal governments such directives, as Canadian local governments are directly under the provincial government’s control. Municipal governments are often referred to as “creatures of the province.” The provincial government provides all powers and responsibilities granted to a municipal government.

For instance, both the provincial governments of Ontario and British Columbia have recently intervened in the housing policies of their municipal governments.

Some supporters of the move, including frequent drivers, took to social media, asserting that new bike lanes are a top reason for increased traffic congestion in Toronto. They stated that bike lanes see poor utility, particularly during the long winter season of icy conditions, and introduce dangerous conflicts between users.

Many people, including frequent cyclists, have also voiced their opposition to the legislation, calling the move a big step back that encourages people to drive and reduces safety for cyclists. They also criticized the provincial government’s various recent policies that appear to focus on benefiting drivers, including increasing the speed limit of select highways, supporting freeway expansion projects, and freezing fees for driving tests.

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