The Ontario government is considering bringing forward legislation that could prohibit the installation of bike lanes when lanes for motor vehicles are removed as a result, sources say.

CBC News has obtained internal government draft documents indicating such a proposal has been under consideration, which several sources with knowledge of the proposed bill confirmed. It is not, however, clear if the measure has been formally brought before cabinet.

The provincial government declined to comment to CBC News on the measures outlined in the documents.

In Toronto and its surrounding areas, gridlock has been a continuing headache and political issue. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said his government intends to address the issue in upcoming legislation.

The documents viewed by CBC News also outline possible measures to speed the building of designated priority highway projects, such as Highway 413. The possibility of allowing 24/7 construction is one of the measures the government is mulling, sources say.

They think the solution to too many cars on the road is MoRe RoAdS.

  • FiveMacsEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    Serious question, what’s wrong with biking on a sidewalk? Personally I refuse to bike on roads because I’d rather not die and will assume the responsibility if I bump into someone on the sidewalks (like I have for decades).

    I’ve never understood why biking in the roads is preferred to anywhere that doesn’t have giant heavy machines that move fast.

    • Jerkface (any/all)English
      2·
      3 months ago

      Serious answer: cyclists are injured or killed more frequently (by distance traveled) on sidewalks than on roads. This is the difference between feeling safer, and educating yourself to be safer.

    • lemmyngOPEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      Just like motor vehicles are dangerous to cyclists, so are bikes dangerous to pedestrians. And in metropolitan areas like Toronto you get very busy sidewalks. Cars, bikes, and pedestrians each need their own separate lanes.

      • FiveMacsEnglish
        11·
        3 months ago

        Uhhh, I feel like a car vs a bike is not a valid comparison to a bike vs a pedestrian at all, and thats 100% why I won’t ever use the street to ride a bike.

        I won’t risk dying while riding a bike, but I will risk scratching someone’s leg, or making them have a booboo for a week.

        Granted the sidewalks here are not as bad as Toronto’s for sure, but personally I would end up taking the less travelled side walks.

        Either way, you’d never catch me on the road with a bike. Seems worse in every aspect.

        Also wanted to mention I’m not against bikes having infrastructure

        • lemmyngOPEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          It’s not just a scratch or a booboo. Going 30km/h on a bike, you hit a pedestrian you’re going to knock them over, and they risk breaking a bone or hitting their head since they don’t wear a helmet. And unlike vehicles that move generally in the same direction in a road, pedestrians move in all directions, enter and leave buildings, etc. The likelihood of a bike-pedestrian accident is much greater if all cyclists use the sidewalk.

          Also your premise is wrong - it’s not about sharing a road with cars vs sharing a sidewalk with pedestrians, it’s about getting actual dedicated lanes for bikes so that they don’t need to share their paths.

          • FiveMacsEnglish
            11·
            3 months ago

            Even still, ill risk breaking a bone on someone instead of a death sentence for myself. Still a no brainer to me.

            Again, I have no issues with dedicated infrastructure, but since all cities seem to be absolutely inept at doing basic tasks, I will continue on the sidewalk because is statistically less fatal then the roads for all parties.