Ontario open to compromise with Toronto on bike lane removals

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Ontario is open to a compromise with the City of Toronto on plans to remove three bicycle lanes, the transportation minister’s office said.

Premier Doug Ford’s government passed legislation last year to take out sections of bike lanes on Bloor St., Yonge St. and University Ave.

The issue became contentious in the city and sparked protests, with Mayor Olivia Chow also speaking out against the proposed changes. But Chow and the city have proposed a solution to the province that would allow for a car lane to be returned to those roads while also keeping a bike lane.

The province has not said no, said Dakota Brasier, a spokeswoman for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

“Where both a reinstated car lane and a bike lane can exist, we are open to collaboration with the City of Toronto, provided they fund their portion of their identified infrastructure needs,” Brasier said.

The province says gridlock costs the Ontario economy $56 billion a year and Ford ran his re-election campaign, in part, on reducing it. The issue came to a head last year after the city implemented a bike lane on Bloor St. W., not far from Ford’s home in Etobicoke.

Many businesses spoke out about the increased traffic on that street. The province eventually tabled legislation that not only targeted bike lanes on those three roads, but required all municipalities to ask the province for permission to install a bike lane when it would remove a lane for cars.

Ford doubled down on that stance during the election, but Chow is now hopeful for a compromise.

“When moving forward, there are a lot of discussions regarding a solution that could accommodate an extra car lane but protect a safe space for cycling, so that you accomplish both the safety and still allow cars to have an extra lane,” Chow said on Tuesday.

“There are places that can happen, so it is a win-win solution.”

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Ford has repeatedly said he is not against bike lanes, but prefers them off arterial roads and on secondary routes.

Toronto’s proposal includes returning two car lanes to University near the city’s hospital row, narrowing the bike lanes and removing on-street parking, said a source familiar with the plan.

The source was granted anonymity to freely discuss the proposal that has not yet been approved.

The mayor’s office and the premier’s office have been discussing a compromise since Ford was re-elected in late February, the source said.

The bike lanes targeted for removal are also the subject of a legal challenge.

Cycle Toronto and Ecojustice took the province to court, saying the new law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They allege the changes put lives at risk.

The groups sought an injunction to stop the removal of the lanes, but a judge denied that request. Court is set to hear the case next week.

Ford said in March the province was not rushing to remove the lanes and would wait for the court case to play out.