When Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government announced several changes designed to reduce gridlock on provincial roads and highways, I described it in a Post column as a strategy to “tackle the long-running war on the car.” It also led to a competing and far noisier narrative: the battle for the bike, courtesy of the political left.
That’s right. Important political and economic matters affecting individuals, families and communities across Canada have taken a back seat lately. The left has engaged in non-stop groaning, complaining and whining about saving their beloved bike lanes from the big, bad Ontario premier.
Some Liberal MPs have waded into this debate. Yasir Naqvi was quoted in the Toronto Star last month as saying it was an “unacceptable” distraction by Ford, showing he “doesn’t want to do his job.” Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told the Star it was “difficult to understand” because bike lanes, “as we’ve seen in many cities around the world … don’t impede the traffic, they help it.”
Yeah, sure. We’ll get to their nonsense shortly.
Canada’s left has evidently taken on a new role as Bike Lane Defenders of the Great White North™; they feel the issue is of the utmost importance to not only cyclists, but to all members of this great nation. Except for one crucial thing: it’s not.
“Cities in Ontario have seen an explosion of bike lanes, including many that were installed during the pandemic when fewer vehicles were on the road and their impacts on traffic were unclear,” Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a news release. “Too many drivers are now stuck in gridlock as a result, which is why our government is bringing informed decision-making and oversight to bike lanes.”
The government plans to introduce legislation that requires municipalities to receive provincial approval before installing new bike lanes. This will help ensure that existing traffic lanes aren’t directly affected or removed in the process.
Ford seems to have kickstarted the process. Global News reported on Tuesday that bike lanes on three major traffic-heavy roads in Toronto — Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue’s hospital row — have been targeted for changes.
“We’re going to work with the city and hopefully they can put them on secondary roads,” Ford told reporters.
The premier was asked if the government required additional criteria before these bike lanes were removed. His one-word response? “No.”
Are Ford and the PCs on the right track? Yes.
Traffic flow in Ontario communities, both large and small, has been negatively impacted by the addition of more bike lanes. The daily commute has slowed down substantially at certain periods of time, and not just during rush hour. Provincial roads need to be faster, more efficient and less congested. Unless you believe slow-moving creatures like turtles and snails should serve as a new standard for traffic flow.
Gridlock has also become a regular source of frustration for Ontario drivers (and those in other provinces). They face longer commutes to home, work and picking up children from school. This has led to more instances of road rage and unsafe driving conditions. Patience may be a virtue, but there’s no virtue in making drivers impatient.
The transportation of goods and services has been affected, too. Households need access to certain essential items, including bread, milk, butter and bacon. Delivery of these products by trucks is crucial from a financial standpoint. It plays a vital role in Ontario’s economic engine, from small convenience stores to big box retailers. Cyclists and bike lanes have contributed to this delay.
Alas, many on the left don’t care about improving traffic flow, tackling gridlock and maintaining a robust economy. They prefer to attack Ford, a premier they don’t like, in the most obtuse fashion imaginable.
Dealing with bike lanes is hardly a “distraction,” as Naqvi put it, or a sign of a premier who doesn’t want to do his job. It’s no secret that Ford is interested in municipal affairs. He was a Toronto city councillor from 2010 to 2014 — while his late brother, Rob, served as the city’s mayor during that time. The issue of bike lanes isn’t just a municipal or Toronto-centric issue, however. It affects communities throughout the entire province.
Oh, and last I checked, Sarkaria is the only minister who handles the transportation file. Other provincial matters, including health care and education, are still being dealt with on a regular basis. In other words, Ford and his ministers are doing their jobs.
With respect to Guilbeault’s statement, bike lanes have always impeded traffic. How could they not? The more bike lanes there are, the less space there is on the roads for cars and trucks to move properly. And while road construction and parking spaces obviously both contribute to slower traffic, the focus on cyclists and bike lanes has made a bad situation even worse.
I have no issue with people wanting to ride their bikes for fun, exercise and transportation. I strongly doubt that Ford or anyone on Canada’s right does, either. Rather, it’s that the left has made the battle for the bike a heavily politicized issue, much like they’ve done in their war on the car. It’s not going to work this time, and the air in their bicycle tires will soon be deflated.
National Post