MULTI-CITY ALLIANCE CALLS ON PROVINCE TO RETHINK PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO BLOCK NEW BIKE LANES IN ALL ONTARIO MUNICIPALITIES
Oct 17, 2024 - As local environmental organizations from Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto, and Windsor - we are deeply concerned about the proposed legislation from the Ontario government that would deny municipalities the ability to install new bike lanes on major streets without provincial approval. If passed, the new rules would severely limit municipalities’ ability to protect all road users, fight climate change, and ease congestion. We call on our local MPPs to speak out against this serious overreach into municipalities’ ability to make the best transportation decisions for their residents, and we call on the Province to work collaboratively with municipalities on solutions instead of undermining them.
All of our municipalities are struggling to address road safety, congestion and its negative impacts on local economies, public health, and the environment. Limiting their options - and forcing them to seek provincial approval for local decisions - will only make the situation worse and create more time-consuming government red tape, and worse, will lead to an increase in traffic fatalities. Bike lanes allow more people to travel in less road space, in addition to improving safety for all road users. Municipalities in Ontario need the power to implement the Transportation Master Plans they have developed for their context.
For example in Hamilton, the Keddy Access Trail is a vital connection between Hamilton’s geographically unique “upper” and “lower” areas of the city. It is dedicated to the memory of cyclist Jay Keddy who was struck and killed on the same roadway the Trail is now located. This trail would potentially not be possible under the proposed legislation, as it required the removal of a vehicle lane. The Keddy Access Trail has improved cyclist safety, and made active transportation a viable option for many when it did not exist before.
In Windsor, the Victoria Ave. bike lane would not have been built under this potential legislation, given that one lane of vehicle traffic was eliminated. The road still allows for vehicle traffic and on street parking of vehicles in addition to the bike lane. “Provincial transportation policy is already a mess. Transportation is a significant contributor to total climate emissions both provincially and in Windsor. We need to increase active transportation planning and infrastructure quickly to deal with the climate crisis,” said Derek Coronado, Executive Director of the Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario.
Ottawa has seen two cyclists killed by drivers in the last month and even more injured. While the City of Ottawa has rebalanced multiple streets to include bike facilities with great success—such as Main Street in Old Ottawa East, or Laurier West in Centretown—it has an ambitious list of biking infrastructure projects that would be prevented by this legislation. “Our Official Plan, which was approved by the Ford government in 2022, commits to over 50 percent of trips being by sustainable modes by 2046,” said William van Geest, Interim Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa. “Proper bike facilities are integral to this necessary shift.”
In Toronto, 2024 has been the deadliest year yet for cyclists since counting began as part of Vision Zero."Six cyclists have already died this year,” says Sarah Buchanan, Campaigns Director at Toronto Environmental Alliance. “Blocking new bike lanes is an irrational and dangerous step backwards which will send many bike commuters back into their cars. We don't need the province overriding local decision-making to make our streets more deadly and crowded."
We call on the provincial government to respect local decision-making and walk back this poorly considered proposal, which could lock Ontario into years of unsafe roads, heavy traffic, and worsening air pollution.
For more information, please contact:
Ian, Borsuk, Environment Hamilton
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More information about the Urban Climate Alliance
The Urban Climate Alliance is a network of four Ontario-based municipal environmental organizations working to advance climate action at the city level. Members include Ecology Ottawa, Environment Hamilton, the Citizens Environment Alliance and Toronto Environmental Alliance.
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