The Ford government is reviewing the bike lane that runs along Ottawa’s O’Connor Street as part of new legislation that gives the province the power to remove cycling infrastructure that worsens vehicle congestion, according to a senior government source.
The source said the lane is a major target for consideration under the new legislation, though a decision on its removal hasn’t been made.
The comments come days after Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria tabled legislation in the House giving the province the power to review bike lanes put in place by municipal governments.
If passed — which is highly likely considering the PCs hold a massive majority — municipal plans for new bikes lanes that require the removal of existing vehicle lanes would have to get approved by the province. It would also allow the province to remove existing bike lanes that have proven to worsen congestion.
“When strategically placed, bike lanes are a vital part of every city, offering residents a safe and a reliable way to move around,” Sarkaria said. “What cities should not be doing, however, is taking away lanes of traffic on our more most congested roads.”
During his announcement, Sarkaria said Ottawa — as well as Kitchener and Toronto — has seen dramatic expansions of its bike lane infrastructure.
“Like for the underused bike lanes on Cedar and Joseph Streets in downtown Kitchener that are making it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through or O’Connor street in Ottawa, where lanes were pointlessly taken away on a key artery making it unsafe for drivers and cyclists alike,” he said.
