Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 - Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane.

The Government of Ontario:

• Recognizes the need to build priority highways faster as our province grows in order to get people and goods out of gridlock and save drivers and businesses time and money.
• Recognizes that accidents and lane closures can worsen traffic congestion and impact the quality of life of Ontarians.
• Is speeding up the delivery of broadband projects that will connect people in all parts of Ontario, including rural areas, with reliable internet access.
• Is building Highway 413, recognizing the importance of this highway to millions of drivers from across Ontario.

What we are proposing

In alignment with these objectives, Ontario is looking to fight gridlock and get drivers where they need to go faster. Prescribed municipalities would be required to seek provincial approval to allow for the implementation of new bicycle lanes (“bike lanes”) that require the removal of an existing lane of traffic. Approval will be based on a set of specified criteria, to be set out in guidance and/or regulation.

The proposed framework would also provide the province with the authority to request municipalities to submit information about existing bike lanes on municipal roads where an existing vehicle lane was removed. If the municipality does not have the required data, the Minister has the authority to compel the municipality to collect the data and provide it to the ministry.

Municipal projects that have reached the construction stage or where construction contracts have been awarded in advance of the framework coming into effect would be exempt from provincial approvals. These projects, however, would still be subject to future information requests from the province.

Environmental Implications

Implications to the environment will be considered as the ministry identifies and develops the criteria for evaluating proposed new cycling lanes.

Other Opportunities for Consultation   

The ministry will be contacting targeted stakeholders including large municipalities to advise them of the proposal and to leverage municipal expertise to develop an approval approach and criterion for municipalities on the installation of new cycling infrastructure.