Summary
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s plan to remove key Toronto bike lanes, citing congestion, has sparked backlash from city officials, cyclists, and safety advocates.
Critics argue there’s no data proving bike lanes worsen traffic, pointing instead to their role in reducing accidents and supporting safe commutes.
Removing the lanes could cost C$48M and disrupt years of planning. Advocates claim Ford’s stance is political, appealing to suburban voters while endangering cyclists.
With rising cyclist fatalities, opponents warn the move risks worsening safety and intensifying tensions between road users.
What makes the Toronto vendetta even worse is that, being leader of the provincial government, his decisions have ripple effects over the entire province. That’s 13.6 million people. The city council where I live is in a panic that this law will sabotage the master plan to build a cycling network connecting the city together. It’s only half done at this point. In particular, it would entail removing a car lane along certain bridges which the province could easily disallow, but that is critical to connecting key parts of the city for cycling commuters.