LRT: This could have…

LRT:

This could have implications to the City’s intent to convert the third eastbound lane on Main Street from Dundurn St to Longwood Road as part of the LRT project.

This could have implications to the Cit’s or third party’s annual public events such as Super Crawl. All depending on the definition of “activities”

Transit:

Capacity on the roads for ‘vehicles’ – how will dedicated transit infrastructure be affected by this? If dedicated transit lanes are used by bikes, are they at risk of being prohibited?

The goal of adding capacity to roadways is a good one, but the target of ‘drivers’ specifically does not suggest we will actually add people-moving capacity to the street. Could the bill consider MMLOS or other indicators that reflect how many people are moving through a road corridor and regulate activities around this?

With engine-off and electric vehicle is idling in congestion as significant an emission source as it was in, say, the 90s?

What will the timelines be for requesting exemptions to the prohibitions, particularly around special events?

How will these measures interact with Ontario traffic laws, which permit cyclists to take a full lane in the absence of infrastructure?

How will this regulation interact with the above, thereby limiting municipalities’ ability to maintain lanes in constricted ROWs by reducing lane width flexibility in particular?

Sustainable Mobility:

Municipal Responsibilities and Authority

There are concerns related to infrastructure implementation. The ability to evaluate and proceed based on the Transportation Master Plan, professional guidelines, and policies to provide infrastructure continuity and safe connectivity within the community is lost.

The Bill does not consider previous Council approval for active transportation projects. All projects are approved through Council (either through a standalone project report or through the capital budget process). The proposed Bill halts any projects that have not yet been implemented.

The provision of sufficient space and separation of cycling infrastructure is essential to all road users, especially vulnerable road users. Municipalities are already assessing projects and making informed decisions on locations for rebalancing of streets where the needs of road users of all ages and abilities are considered.

Municipalities are best positioned to determine the most appropriate location for bicycle lanes based on local knowledge and community input. Municipalities develop transportation plans that balance traffic flow with planning priorities like active transportation, multimodal transportation, and environmental and health protection.

Bill 60 conflicts with the City of Hamilton Council’s direction to implement the current Cycling Master Plan on an accelerated timeline and adds unnecessary cost to taxpayers due to the need for provincial approvals.

Municipalities understand the needs of their communities, including infrastructure. Matters such as this are better handled at the municipal level, rather than additional bureaucracy through provincial oversight. As a result, Bill 60 adds more red tape and negatively affects municipal infrastructure projects.

Process and Logistical Concerns

Due to the lack of detail provided within the Bill, there is uncertainty on what is required for approvals, which will significantly impact on-going construction, tendered, and planned projects.

In relation to on-going construction projects, this has significant impact to taxpayers and overall resident safety due to project delays and potential cost overruns. The lack of information will make it impossible for municipalities to plan and execute projects.

This will create confusion and uncertainty which will require changes to capital plans, scoping of transportation assessments in a manner that aligns with the future Provincial requirements, and in preparation of applications.

There is no clear definition of travel lane within the Bill; making it difficult to determine which projects could be impacted. Additionally, on-street parking is not addressed in the Bill; therefore, it is unclear how it is factored into decisions to add, remove or reallocate parking lanes as appropriate.

For example, some projects in the implementation stage in Hamilton involve rebalancing a street to accommodate cycling lanes, or a shared cycling/parking lane, depending on the time of day, or a repurposing of lanes to provide on-street parking to address community demand, provide a safe buffer for pedestrians along roadways and help reduce speeding.

The criteria, thresholds and impact assessment should be identified prior to creating an approval process for bicycle lanes.

It is unclear as to what data is required to approve a new bicycle lane or to consider removing existing ones and how the data will be analyzed.

Policy Concerns

The proposed policy contradicts the Provincial Strategic Plan - “Helping Ontario’s most vulnerable by keeping costs down and continuing to reduce red tape to put money back into the pockets of the people of Ontario”. Bicycle lanes and active transportation infrastructure are critical and provide an accessible, healthy, safe, and affordable means of transportation, thereby potentially putting money back into the pockets of Ontarians.

There are existing provincial tools in place to guide and direct cycling infrastructure development, such as the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) - Book 18. These guidance documents, along with City Transportation Master Plans, Active Transportation Master Plans, and internal Complete Streets design manuals are sufficient to direct the implementation of active transportation infrastructure. These manuals provide years of expert guidance and source information from many North American jurisdictions. Need to also add these are what municipalities use to determine location, type, etc. of facility based on local needs.

Health Impacts

Cycling contributes to the health, healthcare savings, well-being, and fitness of individuals as they meet the 24-hour movement guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Canadians that meet the guidelines contribute to multi-billion-dollar (estimated $6.8 billion CAD in 2021) reductions in healthcare spending for non-communicable diseases.

Prioritizing vehicular use disproportionately negatively impacts equity-deserving populations (e.g., racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous peoples) who are less likely to be able to afford a personal vehicle or have disposable income are at a higher risk of several non-communicable diseases.

Safety of all roadway users increases with the installation of bicycle lanes. As outlined by the Canadian Pediatric Society, well-connected cycling infrastructure not only increases safety for cyclists, but it also reduces collisions involving motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists within a 500-metre radius surrounding the implementation.

Induced Demand, Multi-Modal Level of Service, and Climate Change

Bicycle lanes provide travel alternatives to help achieve a desired multi-modal split, thereby reducing personal vehicle use and thus minimizing associated emissions. The provision of cycling infrastructure can help municipalities combat climate change by providing sustainable and safe modes of transportation.

Driver frustration is expected and encountered whenever there are changes in both road capacity and any reallocation of road space. In this situation, a certain level of driver frustration is necessary to facilitate modal split by shifting users to active transportation, and thus supporting the long-term sustainability of communities across Ontario.

With Light Rail Transit coming to Hamilton, this legislation could negatively impact the “first and last mile” component of high order transit, as well as the conventional transit system.

The decision to prioritize vehicle traffic, without allowing municipal discretion, does not acknowledge the concept of induced demand. Transportation planners and engineers have provided evidence over numerous years that it is ineffective to provide additional capacity on roads, which results in increased traffic in the long term. The strategic development and location of a transportation system is based on local knowledge and local transportation and land use patterns to make informed decisions that impact residents and businesses.

The legislation could jeopardize most future developments of safe, protected bike lanes in Hamilton, reducing transportation options for children, families and equity deserving populations which can contribute to higher rates of collisions, physical inactivity, and pollution.