Ford wins appeal in Toronto bike lanes court battle
Doug Ford’s PC government has secured a major victory in the ongoing saga related to bike lanes in downtown Toronto. On Friday, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled unanimously, 3-0, in favour of overturning a previous lower-court decision which found that the plan created an unconstitutional risk to cyclist safety. In a strongly worded ruling, […]
Ontario's Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government has triumphed in a court battle over the removal of bike lanes in downtown Toronto. The Ontario Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision, overturned a lower court ruling that deemed the plan potentially unsafe for cyclists. The three-judge panel found that the lower court judge had misapplied the law and overstepped into policy-making and political matters.
The ruling stated that governments have the authority to alter or rescind decisions made by their predecessors, even if it contradicts expert advice. The Ford government has been considering the removal of nearly 20 kilometers of protected bike lanes on Yonge Street, Bloor Street, and University Avenue, but a court battle has delayed the proposal.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria hailed the decision, stating that the mandate of the government was to address the traffic and congestion issues that cost Ontario's economy over $56 billion annually. Mayor Olivia Chow of Toronto, on the other hand, vowed to continue advocating for a win-win situation, such as restoring a lane of traffic on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke, while conserving bike lanes in the area.
Advocates for cycling, however, termed this ruling as an "unfortunate setback." They argued that the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street could increase collisions by 54 percent for all road uses and potentially not reduce congestion.
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