‘Hogwash’: Premier Doug Ford dismisses Toronto’s $48M bike lane removal estimate

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is dismissing the City of Toronto’s estimates to region motorcycle lanes from 3 large Toronto streets, calling the $48-million terms tag “hogwash.”

The Ford government is fast-tracking a transportation-related instrumentality that would springiness the state the powerfulness to determine wherever a municipality tin instal separated cycling infrastructure on with the authorization to region dedicated bike lanes astatine will.

The state has identified motorcycle lanes connected Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street arsenic those slated for removal and offered to screen the costs of tearing retired the infrastructure.

The committedness to screen the costs, however, has triggered a caller conflict betwixt Queen’s Park and metropolis hall: the outgo of removal and restoring lanes of traffic.

“The entirety of the outgo is indicative of the information that successful sections that person been precocious reconstructed, determination are factual curbs separating the motorcycle lanes from the centrifugal conveyance traffic,” Jacquelyn Hayward, the city’s manager of planning, plan and management, told a Queen’s Park committee proceeding connected Monday.

“There are drawback basins that person been moved arsenic a result. In bid to enactment backmost the lanes successful immoderate places, you would person to redo the roads.”

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters astatine the Ontario legislature that the city’s estimation of $48 cardinal “just doesn’t adhd up” and said the terms tag was treble the installation costs.

On Tuesday, Ford besides dismissed the city’s estimate.

“We cognize it doesn’t outgo $50 million, that’s a clump of hogwash,” Ford told Global News astatine an unrelated event.

“We’re going to amusement them however to bash it for a batch little and get postulation moving.”

The province, however, has yet to contiguous immoderate preliminary enactment connected however overmuch Ontario taxpayers would person to ammunition retired to region motorcycle lanes from Toronto roads.

As for information concerns, Ford besides dismissed those, saying, “We’re going to support motorcycle riders safe.”

The authorities to region lanes doesn’t see immoderate provisions for safety.

— with files from The Canadian Press