The Ontario government is working to remove bicycle lanes across Toronto.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently took time out of his schedule to record a video explaining how his government was charging ahead to tackle a key problem facing the province.
There are so many urgent files on his desk that this must have been important. Was he responding to the trade war threatening the province’s economy? Problems in the health-care system? Violence in schools or sagging housing starts?
No, no, no and no. Mr. Ford was instead exercised about local infrastructure in Toronto. Specifically, he wanted to brag about how his government was moving quickly to remove popular bicycle lanes across 19 kilometres of the city’s roads.
Ontario to remove stretch of Toronto bike lane after recent court win
To be clear, the Premier is legally within his bounds to remove bicycle lanes in Toronto. A Court of Appeal decision last month determined that such policy decisions are the purview of politicians and not judges. This space has argued that was the correct decision and that judges should stay in their lane.
But there are many things that are both legally permissible and also unwise. Remember, Ontario is the largest province in the country, with 16 million people, a $17-billion projected deficit and a long list of serious challenges. Mr. Ford has much bigger fish to fry. He, too, should stick to his lane.
Editorial: An appealing case for judicial restraint
Instead, he is indulging in an antipathy for bicycle lanes that goes back to his time on city council. He fought them then, but council felt differently and the bicycle network slowly expanded. That helped spur growth of the local bike-share system, which had nearly eight million rides last year.
Now, as Premier, Mr. Ford has the power to override the will of city council. Among the bicycle lanes on the chopping block are separated routes on Yonge and Bloor streets and University Avenue – all of which have become key parts of the city’s transportation infrastructure.
Mr. Ford insists this is a common-sense approach to tackling congestion. But a possible tell that this is more about culture-war politics is that he is making no effort to remove parking spaces, which take up more room than bicycle lanes.
It is possible, of course, to make an argument for removing bicycle lanes. Doing so frees up space on the road for drivers. Although history and academic analysis indicate that this additional space will become congested in due course, vehicle throughput will increase. That is, the road will accommodate more drivers.
The number of drivers a road can move is, however, only one metric for its value. In a city in which not everyone drives, other ways to get around must be given proper attention.
The primary value of bicycle lanes is that they allow people to ride in greater safety, a public-health victory. Bicycle lanes can also help congestion, by convincing some motorists that they can get to their destination without driving. Certainly, cyclists taking the whole lane because they feel unsafe will not help to speed traffic. And research shows that bicycle lanes are good for local business, because people riding tend to stop more and spend more than people driving.
Toronto City Council weighed the pros and cons and chose to install the bicycle lanes. That’s the right place for such a debate. How people move around a city is a decision best left to their local representatives.
Instead, Mr. Ford big-footed city council to wade into municipal politics, even though there are many more important issues for his attention. To help him focus, here is a partial list.
For one, he could slim down cabinet. Last week Mr. Ford shuffled cabinet and it is the largest ever – not a good look in a province facing trade war-related job cuts. The Premier needs a lean team that is focused on the essentials. He could also take a serious look at student attacks on teachers, a complicated problem that will not be solved simply by putting police in schools. And he could do more to help workers in the auto sector – which has fared worst amid a broader manufacturing decline, according to a report last year from the provincial budget watchdog – make the transition to new jobs.
Surge in student violence brings Canadian teachers to a breaking point
These are real problems. And it’s not as if the province is starting from a position of strength. Its economy is “facing some of the stiffest headwinds in the country,” according to an analysis last month by TD, and anemic growth is expected this year. In this context, throwing money at removing local bicycle infrastructure is particularly hard to justify.
People have good reason to worry about provincial priorities. And they are right to wonder at Mr. Ford’s triumphant focus on a few kilometres of bicycle lane.