Toronto city council could copy Ford government strategy in bike lane battle

Frustrated Toronto metropolis councillors are considering installing signs blaming the provincial authorities for postulation caused by enactment to region bike lanes connected 3 large metropolis roads, echoing a maneuver the Ford authorities erstwhile utilized to onslaught the national c price.

During a gathering connected Thursday, councillors agreed to a fig of steps designed to defy a provincial program to region motorcycle lanes from Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue.

A bulk of councillors backed a question designed to effort and marque the provincial authorities rethink its plan.

It suggested respective avenues, including advocacy, to effort and halt the motorcycle removal argumentation that is presently being fast-tracked done the legislative process. The question formally asked the Ford authorities to permission the city’s motorcycle lanes unsocial and asked the city’s ineligible squad to reappraisal its options.

If those steps fail, the metropolis is considering an alternate plan.

Staff volition beryllium asked to research the anticipation of installing signs beside motorcycle lane removal, blaming the provincial authorities for the inconvenience. The signs would beryllium added to immoderate operation needed to rip retired the cycling infrastructure.

“This roadworthy congestion and postulation hold is the effect of Premier Ford’s Bill 212,” the question suggests the signs should read.

A spokesperson for the metropolis said nary ceremonial enactment had begun to hole those signs due to the fact that the province’s program has not yet received Royal Assent and has not been passed into law.

If Toronto goes up with the idea, it would beryllium akin to a Ford authorities argumentation from 2019. In that case, the provincial authorities ordered each state stations to person stickers telling radical a information of the last outgo astatine the pump was due to the fact that of national c pricing.

An Ontario tribunal yet recovered forcing backstage state stations to station stickers designed to “‘stick it to’ different tier of authorities oregon governmental party” was unconstitutional.

Despite the salvo of absorption attempts from metropolis hall, the state appears acceptable connected its plan.

Premier Doug Ford antecedently said helium plans to region cycling infrastructure from Bloor, Yonge and University, careless of what the information says.

A caller metropolis study estimated the outgo of removing motorcycle lanes from the 3 roads successful Toronto would beryllium $48 million, with months of roadworthy closures. The study besides claimed the metropolis would suffer astir $27 cardinal spent successful full installing them.

The state has promised to wage the outgo of removing motorcycle lanes — though it won’t screen brushed costs similar unit readying clip oregon wealth mislaid installing the infrastructure.

The Ford authorities remains adamant taking the lanes retired is the close happening to bash — and volition amended postulation successful the agelong run.

“It’s wide that the city’s attack isn’t moving and we promote them to perceive to the thousands of communal consciousness drivers to assistance wide our large roads and get radical retired of traffic,” a provincial spokesperson precocious told Global News.

Locally, however, galore elected officials stay furious.

“This (is) decidedly a displacement from however we’ve seen him behave successful the past with galore conversations,” Coun. Jennifer McKelvie said of Premier Ford connected Thursday.

“I’m hopeful helium volition get backmost to being data-driven and person a existent speech with us.”