October 31, 2024 - Ontario is planning to move forward with plans to remove sections of bike lanes on three major roads in Toronto including Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue reports CBC and other media outlets.
Last week the Progressive Conservative government tabled a bill, The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act which requires municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic – including a review of existing bike lanes over the last five years for possible removal.
Now Ontario Premier Doug Ford has gone further posting a proposed new rule that would require the province to remove sections of Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue bike lanes and restore them as lanes for vehicle traffic. Yet the Bloor Annex BIA says bike lanes are good for business.
The posting says the City of Toronto would be required to “provide support to facilitate” the removal of the three named bike lanes, and that an exemption from the Environmental Assessment Act would be included.
