Ontario leader trots out archaic anti-bike lane rhetoric in his old Toronto nabe

While the city of Toronto is advancing on its plan to create a safe cycling network throughout the city, it is getting pushback from some local residents in the more suburban reaches of the region, one of whom is the elected leader of the province of Ontario, Premier Doug Ford.

The extension of the Bloor Street West bike lanes, the most well-used slice of cycling infrastructure in Toronto, was recently completed. However, well-worn criticisms have arisen from the usual crowd.

The primary objective of this new infrastructure is to establish a connected network of safe cycling infrastructure along Bloor Street, spanning the entire city with the goal of providing a safer and more convenient route for cyclists. The idea being that safe cycling infrastructure needs to be equitably spread throughout the region with direct routes from population nodes to downtown employment zones. Makes sense, right? Apparently not to Ford, who is from the Etobicoke area of Toronto on the western edge of the city and is apparently displeased with the notion of providing cyclists with a safe bike lane.

In a recent press conference, Ford shared his opinion on the new bike lanes hinting at their removal because he rarely observes cyclists utilising them.

“Get ride of those bike lanes on Bloor in Etobicoke,” he said, directing his comment to Toronto’s mayor Olivia Chow. “I think we see one bicycle come through there every single year with thousands of cars, and the businesses are just losing their hair over it.”

BREAKING NEWS: Mayor of Toronto Doug Ford declares he does not support extending the Bloor Street bike lanes into Etobicoke

Oh wait… pic.twitter.com/KzNXV5U3rD

— Cycle Toronto (@CycleToronto) October 31, 2023

There is even a petition put on Change.org by Cody McRae asking for the removal of the lanes.

“We, the residents of Etobicoke, express our reservations about the newly introduced bike lanes on Bloor St. Concerns arise from potentially inaccurate bike usage data from the High Park counter, noticeable congestion due to lane reductions, decreased business footfall, potential delays for emergency vehicles, and the observed scarcity of cyclists,” reads the petition, in part.

Similar arguments were trotted out in the more central areas of Toronto where the Bloor Street bike lanes first took shape and when other separated bike lanes were added most recently on another popular thoroughfare on Yonge Street. But, we now know that, for instance, businesses are busier, and there are negligible delays for emergency vehicles according to the facts as reported by the city.

And, the reality is that Toronto’s population is growing exponentially. The Canadian government just announced it is keeping its immigration rates at a whopping 500,000 people per year. The city population will continue to swell for years to come. Roads will never be free of congestion unless there is a modal shift en masse.

Biking back and forth on the Etobicoke section of the #BloorBikeLanes on a brisk 0°C morning, I saw (by Doug Ford’s count) 12 years worth of cyclists. What are the odds? @BikewaysTO @CllrAmberMorley @CycleToronto @TheBikingLawyer @BellsOnBloor pic.twitter.com/bFi9tTk5C6

— jnyyz 🚲 (@jnyyz) November 1, 2023

It didn’t take long for local cycling advocates to take note of Ford’s comments and start sharing information about the reality that there are plenty of cyclists in Etobicoke already using the bike lanes.  In addition, a rally in support of the bike lanes is being organised for this weekend.

“It’s important to push back against the negativity of inaccurate petitions and provincial leaders who use the same old tropes to attack VRUs for political gain,” wrote Dave Shellnut a.ka. Toronto’s Biking Lawyer on social media. “Join us for a ride. Let’s show them that many more than 1 cyclist a year will be using these new bike lanes.”

Sometimes you just have to grab your bike & put rubber to pavement to demonstrate the overwhelming support for safe infrastructure. This Sunday cyclists from the GTA will take to the new Bloor Bike Lanes en masse! #bikeTO pic.twitter.com/zM4WpgrI7N

— The Biking Lawyer (Dave Shellnutt) (@TheBikingLawyer) November 2, 2023

It’s worth noting that Ford’s jurisdiction is the province of Ontario, not the city of Toronto, where bike lanes fall under different governance.