I’m a cyclist first–it’s how I self identify. I rode to work in Vancouver pretty steadily for 10 years. My mileage was down a bit this year for a few reasons (you can find me on Strava if you want to check) and working from home had a huge impact, but still..it’s what I am.
So, it’s probably not surprising that I’m opposed to Doug Ford’s Bill 212 but let’s be honest, the fact that I’m a cyclist who uses bike lanes might even be the smallest reason. Frankly, I don’t use any of the lanes that are going to be removed that often because I live by the lake–the Waterfront Trail is my home, though I spend a lot of time on downtown roads too.
No, the reasons are much more significant.
The Province is Meddling with Civic Affairs
Firstly, the bill continues a dangerous precedent which I think started during Toronto’s last municipal elections: the Provincial Government is inserting itself into affairs that should be local issues without consideration or warning.
For those who’ve forgotten, the Ford government cut the size of Toronto’s city council in half after an election had already been kicked off. The point of this isn’t even whether there were too many people on council at all: it’s how it was done. Suddenly, without warning, without research and with little to no consideration of its impact.
Legally, they have the right. I get that, and the Supreme Court upheld it. Cities are the creatures of the Province–they don’t exist in the Constitution.
The situation with bike lanes is similar: they were installed by the city after a period of careful planning and research and at substantial expense. The city controls zoning and is responsible for road maintenance, not the province. The bill is designed to explicitly override a role the city has had for hundreds of years.
So, the precedent is alarming. What’s the next power to go? All zoning? Do we lose all our parks? If one of Doug Ford’s friends starts a garbage disposal company, they suddenly get a contract for the whole city? Will the Province remove zoning restrictions that prevent pot shops from opening next to schools? (Do not forget about the Ford family’s well documented history.)
Just because it’s legally within the province’s power doesn’t make it ethical or moral. Stop stomping all over the city based on your personal whims.
It’s Not Based in Fact
Simply put: there’s a tonne of research that shows that bike lanes are good for everybody. They don’t just improve safety for cyclists, they improve it for cars. They don’t significantly impact travel times for emergency vehicles. They’re good for local businesses. They’re used by significantly more people than the Ford government claims.
The list goes on and on really, and it all points to the same problem: this policy has no basis in any fact based reality. It’s entirely based on the opinion of one person, who happens to have a majority large enough that it passed without much trouble.
So, again, the precedent here is troubling and in this case if we look south we can see where it leads us. The politics of Donald Trump (who I have decided to nickname the Sentient Cheeto) are similarly not based in fact so we get threats of 25% tariffs which will raise prices for American consumers, fluoride coming out of drinking water based on the opinion of a person who thinks vaccines don’t work, and abortions being banned even in life saving situations. Climate change deniers are having a field day with this.
Will Doug Ford go this far? He doesn’t have that much power but he’s setting a precedent and with Pierre Poilievre likely to our next Prime Minister (let’s be honest about that) normalizing policy based on opinion is not a good thing. It’s weaponizing disinformation and ignorance.
So, forget about the bike lanes–worry about the other stuff, because who knows what they’re coming for next. It could take decades to undo the damage, and we don’t have that much time.