11 hours Ago By [email protected] (Rob Ferguson)
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has a message for cyclists: for your own safety, stay off , Yonge and University when bike lanes are removed. While Sarkaria’s proposed legislation, Bill 212, doesn’t make it illegal to ride on those roads, a surprise amendment Thursday protects the government from lawsuits if cyclists are injured or killed on streets that used to have bike lanes. Critics called that indemnification provision a troubling development that suggests Premier Doug Ford’s government know its will make roads more hazardous for riders.
“The safer thing for a cyclist to do would be to make a decision to go on streets that are safer,” Sarkaria said after the Progressive Conservatives used their majority to pass the amendment in a legislative committee hearing. “That’s what we believe is the right way to do it, is on our secondary streets where there is much less traffic volume and ultimately safer for cyclists and everyone else.” New Democrat and Liberal MPPs on the committee condemned the change to the bill, which Sarkaria confirmed would give Ford’s government power to remove all bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue should it so decide.
“These new amendments turn a bad anti-bike bill into a terrible anti-bike bill,” said Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale), who often cycles to and from the legislature. The amendment states “claims arising from collisions between motor vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians ..
. are not claims of negligence.” Blocking lawsuits is “above-the-law stuff,” said New Democrat MPP Jennifer French (Oshawa).
“No one can bring anything against the Crown.” Liberal MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon (Beaches-East York) said cyclists have the right to be safe on city streets. The government maintains bike lanes on primary routes are contributing to gridlock and last month introduced the legislation that allows the province to override municipal decisions on where bike lanes should go.
Municipalities will be required to get provincial approval for bike lanes if they take out a lane of traffic for cars and trucks, which critics fear could effectively be a ban on new lanes. Opponents of the legislation repeatedly warned fewer bike lanes will lead to more deaths and injuries involving cyclists. Six riders have been killed in Toronto this year.
“It feels a lot safer as a car driver to know cyclists can zip past me in their lane and not come in front of my car,” said French. Ford said this week it’s that the City of Toronto’s estimates it will cost $48 million to remove 22 km of bike lanes that cost $27 million to install. Brian Rosborough, executive director of the Association of Municipalities, said gridlock in Toronto is “complex” and can’t be solved by simply getting rid of bike lanes.
The legislation, for example, does not take aim at curb lane dining under the CaféTO program in warmer months or at lanes closed for construction of condominiums and other large buildings. With an in the spring, Ford’s Tories believe bike lanes will be a useful wedge issue against the NDP and Liberals that will help the PCs hold some of their dozen Toronto seats..
