Bike advocates rejoice at latest roadblock to Ford government's attempt to uproot Toronto bike lanes
Cyclists, advocates dispute Ford government's claim that removing bike lanes will reduce congestion
Cyclists and advocates in Toronto are celebrating a roadblock to Ontario Premier Doug Ford's attempt to uproot three of the city's major bike lanes.
On Tuesday, an Ontario court dismissed the province's appeal of a temporary court order that's stopped it from removing the Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue bike lanes while a legal challenge is before the courts.
The province is pushing for the removals as a solution to Toronto's traffic buildup. While work has been halted for now, the government says it will continue design work necessary to begin bike lane removals.
But cyclists and advocates say bike lanes are crucial for public safety and that removing them won't solve traffic concerns.
"It's easy to sort of look at bike lanes and … paint them as an easy target for traffic," said Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, the group leading the Charter challenge.
"When you actually look at the data, bike lanes aren't responsible for traffic or congestion. In fact, they give people more transportation options. They make it safer for more people to choose to move around."
In its challenge, the group argues the law that enables the government to remove the bike lanes is arbitrary and puts lives at risk.
The latest court decision blocks the province from any removal action until a judge rules on whether the law is unconstitutional.
Longfield says the bike lanes were installed "for good reason," after hundreds of hours of analysis, planning and consultation through multiple city councils and mayors.
Lane removal wrong solution to traffic problem: cyclists
He and other cyclists agree that the removal could put people's lives at risk.
Shervan Vafa, who was cycling by Queen's Park on Thursday, says some of his friends have gotten into serious accidents on roads without bike lanes.
"[The province] is trying to solve the problem with the wrong solutions," he said.
"I don't [cycle] on any other roads without a bike lane … I'm always conscious and try to stay on the bike lanes that are actually protected."
Angelique Moss, a cyclist of 10 years from Etobicoke, says bike lane removals would be a "waste of taxpayer dollars" and she is glad to see Ford lose the appeal.
"[Biking in Toronto] used to be a nightmare. I would never take Bloor and now I can take Bloor. It connects the city. It's wonderful," she said.
Province still planning to remove lanes
In a statement to The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Transportation said design work for the removal will continue and that bike lanes will remain in place for now.
"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," Dakota Brasier wrote in the statement.
Longfield hopes the province will instead look to collaboration with municipalities to find other traffic solutions and accelerate transit projects.
"I think if the premier and the minister were spending as much time as they were obsessing about bike lanes on making sure, say, the Eglinton-Crosstown [LRT] opens on time, that would be a much better thing to help people."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Clara Pasieka