February 6, 2026 - Brampton City Council recently voted 10-1 to remove protected bike lanes on Howden Boulevard despite city staff saying that the removal will lead to more congestion and speeding reports InBrampton and other outlets.
The push to remove the protected bike lanes on Howden Boulevard was led by Ward 7 Coun. Rod Power and the motion passed with the support of all members of council, except for Coun. Rowena Santos.
Power said the lanes were blocking turning traffic and “imprisoning people” in their neighbourhoods and launched a petition last year for the “removal/relocation” of the Howden bike lanes. But according to Santos, “The Howden bike lanes are Brampton’s ‘only east-west corridor for active transportation,’ and scrapping the protected lanes ‘speaks against some of the goals that are outlined in the Brampton Mobility Plan’.”
Critics also noted that current watermain construction on Dixie Road and Williams Parkway has been the primary cause of recent traffic backups and a Jan. 20 town hall showed that 65% of residents support active transportation investments.
Power put forward a motion on Jan. 27 during budget meetings that called for the bike lane removal in favour of sharrows “to maintain cycling accommodation” that passed. A total of $337,000 have been earmarked for the bike lane removal, and another $393,000 will be used for future bike lane “relocation projects” and the Howden multi-use path, on top of $ 1 million dollars already spent on the installation.
This news is in tandem with three major Toronto bike lanes that are under threat by the provincial government which appealed a ruling on Jan. 30 by Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas who sided with the cyclists – read more here.
Read the InBrampton report here.
City of Brampton Staff Report here.
City of Brampton Jan 27 Agenda here.
