Ford does understand the importance of bike lanes, or at least he used to: “You’re nervous when there’s not bike lanes, at least I was,” he told TVO in 2017 after trying out cycling near Queen’s Park. He also campaigned on promises to put money back in people’s pockets, and biking is one of the cheapest ways to get around, requiring no fare or fuel.

So why is Ford doing this now? Maybe it’s because bike lanes have become an ideological wedge that he hopes will win him another election. Maybe because real solutions to traffic are complicated and often unpopular — like congestion pricing, which is proven to work.