The Government of Ontario is…

The Government of Ontario is choosing to ignore documented facts and science in order to advance purely political interests. The prohibition on vehicle lane reduction for new bicycle lans is based on the false, perceived premise that bike lanes cause congestion when there is absolutely no evidence that this is case. In fact, we have learned in Cycle Toronto et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario et al., 2025 ONSC 4397 that the Government received internal advice that protected bike lanes can ease congestion and that removing them would do little to alleviate gridlock, which is consistent with all other studies conducted on the topic (see supporting link). Not only do they not cause congestion, but they also increase foot traffic on commercial strips and more importantly provide safe, efficient infrastructure for the thousands of Ontarians who choose to get around their communities by bike.

Statistics don't like - bike lanes can move more people than a vehicular lane per unit width. The Government of Ontario needs only to look at hard, straight facts. Montreal has some of the busiest bike lanes not only in Canada but in the world, with some bike lanes recording 1,700 cyclists an hour, which is far more than what any vehicular lane can move in an hour (see other supporting link). In Toronto, the Bike Share Toronto program recorded a staggering 6.9 million rides in 2024.

Cyclists will not simply disappear because the Government removes a bike lane or prevents the installation of one - they will simply ride in traffic, slowing cars down and increasing the risk of serious injury or death. By preventing the installation of safe cycling infrastructure or by removing such infrastructure, the Government is deliberately putting the lives of Ontarians of risk.

Knowing all this, it is beyond comprehension and deeply concerning that the Government of Ontario is still choosing to implement poor public policy while ignoring internal advice or studies clearly showing the Government's position is unsupported by any shred of evidence. The Government of Ontario should be concerned with implementing non-partisan, sound public policy, not catering to their voter base with the sole objective of being re-elected.

More generally, the Government of Ontario's overreach into municipal spheres, essentially muzzling municipalities and forcing them to design streets in a certain way is disturbing. Municipal councils are democratically elected local governments best positioned to decide how local streets should be designed. The fact that, constitutionally, municipalities are so-called "creatures of the Province" should not be taken to the extreme. Ontario is the only jurisdiction in Canada, if not on the continent, that micromanages municipalities so obsessively.