October 23, 2024 - (Toronto, ON) The message to Ontario Premier Doug Ford by over 500 cyclists including MPPs, city councillors and cycling advocates at the Rally & Ride for Road Safety at Queen’s Park earlier today was loud and clear, “Back off bikes lanes and stay in your lane.”
Safety concerns for cyclists and other vulnerable road users was the primary message – “You build safe streets, or people die” – as Alison Stewart, the new Bicycle Mayor of Toronto and also Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at Cycle Toronto, welcomed everyone.
Jess Spieker, from Friends and Families for Safe Streets, a victim herself of being struck by the driver of an SUV back in 2015, took over to introduce many speakers including Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre, Mary-Margaret McMahon MPP Beaches—East, Sarah Jama MPP Hamilton and others who want Ford to focus on the provincial issues that he hasn’t fixed such as LRT rapid transit, housing, and healthcare… and “stay in his lane.”
So many residents rely on bike lanes to get work, for deliveries, to get to school etc. and they need a safe environment to ensure they get home safely. Bike lanes also have a calming affect on neighbourhoods which is good for everyone – a recent ScienceDirect study shows that bike lanes result in a 28% reduction in average maximum speeds.
Cycle Toronto’s Michael Longfield noted that the organization’s talking points to promote cycling, bike lanes, equality and safety are now mainstream – but unfortunately the province’s government under Premier Doug Ford is not mainstream. “Everyone just wants to get home safely no matter which form of transit they choose,” said Longfield.
All data supports bike lanes easing congestion and according to Jennifer Keesmaat, former Chief City Planner for the City of Toronto, “There is zero case to be made that bike lanes cause congestion. There’s no data, there’s no analysis, there’s no study that would lead you to that conclusion anywhere in the world.” – listen to her interview on CBC Front Burner here.
Another important comment raised at the rally is that bike lanes are good for business which is echoed by the Bloor Annex BIA, representing merchants in that corridor, that issued a statement saying, “about 8,000 riders use the Bloor St. bike lanes daily” and that “removing the bikes lanes would be disasterous.”
The rally finished with a group ride of solidarity with over 500 cyclists urging the province to leave local transportation decisions, such as bike lanes, in the hands of municipalities that have a much better understanding of the circumstances and needs for local businesses and residents.
According to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, which represents 444 municipalities in the province, “It is unclear how the Ministry of Transportation will be in a better position to make decisions about local matters.”
