Last week, the Ford government started work on removing the Bloor bike lanes from Clissold to Royal York. A massive protest was held on Tuesday evening which stalled work that day while smaller ones were held the rest of the week which led to three women being arrested. Given Verdi Alliance Civil and ATS Traffic were identified doing the work, I issued a call to action to name and shame them, while Cycle Toronto issued their own. However, we need to raise the stake further and start calling on the federal government to intervene.
Why the federal government? Even though bike lanes are a municipal matter, Ontario is not the only province interfering on this file. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston did so last year regarding a Halifax bike lane, while Alberta is planning to introduce similar anti-bike legislation in November and even put up a bike lane snitch line a few months back. Couple that with Cycle Toronto seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada and it’s clear this fight has become national. An argument John Lorinc similarly made while citing the Attorney General of Canada v. Paul Drover case involving the dismissal of a federal public servant.
This would not be the first time the federal government has intervened regarding provincial actions. Earlier this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for the expansion of Billy Bishop Airport to allow jets and has unilaterally taken over the City of Toronto’s seat at the table. The federal government hosted a public consultation and thanks to the over 87,000 responses which overwhelmingly rejected the idea, they shut down the idea once again. Sure, it should be noted that the federal government has a stake given Transport Canada and the federally owned Toronto Port Authority are part of the airport’s tripartite agreement. Back in November 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had publicly condemned Doug Ford’s use of the notwithstanding clause to ram through an unfair contract on education workers.
Given provincial interference on bike lanes is not limited to Ontario and the federal government has intervened against provincial actions before, it’s clear we need to call on them to do the same regarding the Bloor bike lane removals. For this purpose, I encourage you to write to your MP, as well as CC the party leaders and Ministers Julie Dabrusin (Environment) and Steven Mackinnon (Transport).
Below you will find the letter I sent, but please customize it to fit your MP and your own experiences.
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TO: Your MP’s e-mail (find your MP here)
CC: mark.carney@parl.gc.ca, pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca, elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca, don.davies@parl.gc.ca, contact@ndp.ca, julie.dabrusin@parl.gc.ca, ministre-minister@ec.gc.ca, steven.mackinnon@parl.gc.ca, TC.MinisterofTransport-MinistredesTransports.TC@tc.gc.ca
Subject: The Need for Federal Intervention Against Bike Lane Removals in Toronto
Dear MP Danielle Martin, (Replace with your MP.)
CC: Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, MP Pierre Poilievre, MP Elizabeth May, MP Don Davies, NDP Leader Avi Lewis, Hon. Julie Dabrusin, Hon. Steven Mackinnon
Earlier this year, federal transportation minister Steven Mackinnon shut down Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s latest push to expand Billy Bishop Airport to allow jets due to overwhelming opposition expressed during public consultations on the matter. While I thank you and the rest of the federal Liberal caucus for listening to Torontonians on the airport issue, there is another matter which I am calling on you and other Members of Parliament to stand up to Doug Ford on. Specifically, the removal of the Bloor bike lanes currently underway from Clissold to Royal York. (Rewrite this part if your MP is from another party. Especially if your MP is Conservative whose leader supported the airport expansion.)
As a longtime road safety advocate who lives in University-Rosedale, the Bloor bike lanes mean a lot to me personally. I have volunteered on multiple campaigns related to Bloor Street over the years with the latest being Community Bikeways’ “We Belong on Bloor” which called for extending the Bloor bike lanes from Runnymede to Kipling. I also ride the Bloor bike lanes frequently while sometimes, my partner and I will bring our dog Mozzie in our cargo bike. Something which we would not feel safe doing without them. (Replace with your own experience regarding Bloor or bike lanes in general, as well as state which riding you live in.)
The removal of 19 km of bike lanes along Bloor, Yonge, and University represents massive provincial overreach given bike lanes are a municipal matter and Toronto City Council supported those bike lanes on numerous occasions. The removals will increase collisions by as much as 54% per the Ontario government’s data, waste at least $48 million which could have been used for other provincial priorities, and make the province a pariah on the world stage when other cities worldwide are expanding their bikeway networks to improve public health and climate action.
This overreach is unfortunately no longer limited to Ontario given the Alberta government is planning similar anti-bike legislation and had even developed a bike lane snitch line. In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston intervened last year to block a bike lane in Halifax. With multiple provinces interfering with municipalities on the active transportation file, a federal response is urgently needed to ensure the safety of vulnerable road users who bike or walk.
Back to Toronto, it’s worth mentioning that Mayor Olivia Chow and the City of Toronto already proposed design compromises which would see the bike lanes stay while adding a lane of traffic. Despite this win-win solution, the Ford government rejected it per a September 4 article in the Toronto Star.
Given the removal of bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge, and University will endanger those who bike including many of your own constituents, I am calling on you and other Members of Parliament to do everything in your power to stand up to Doug Ford and urge his government to stop the bike lane removals as soon as possible. Even though Cycle Toronto recently sought leave to appeal their Bill 212 charter challenge loss to the Supreme Court of Canada, it’s not guaranteed the court will hear the case and the need for a federal response remains. Especially if we are to prevent other provinces such as Alberta from implementing similar legislation.
I thank you for considering the matter and feel free to contact me should you wish to discuss further.
Sincerely yours,
Robert Zaichkowski (Replace with your name and add your address so your MP’s office knows you are one of their constituents.)
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