A provincial court in Canada has said the removal of 19km of protected bike lanes from several busy streets in the city of Toronto can go ahead.<\/p>\n
The decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal overturns a lower court ruling against allowing the Ontario government to order the city to remove the lanes.<\/p>\n
That ruling said that by removing the bike lanes, the city would be exposing cyclists to risks and that cyclists had a constitutional right to safety.<\/p>\n
Removing protected bike lanes from heavily trafficked streets has been a political issue for several years.<\/p>\n
Motorists have complained of narrower roads and more congestion.<\/p>\n
Contentious cycle lanes<\/p>\n
The contentious cycle lanes in the court ruling are along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue in central Toronto.<\/p>\n
The law was challenged by a group of cyclists, including a bike courier and a university student.<\/p>\n
They argued that removing the lanes would pose an unconstitutional safety risk.<\/p>\n
According to local media, provincial transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria welcomed the Ontario Court of Appeal\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always been clear [that] bike lanes should go where they make sense, on secondary roads, not at the expense of vehicle lanes on the busiest streets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The cycling group behind the court challenge acknowledged Friday\u2019s ruling as a setback \u2013 but insisted the facts on the ground had not changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBike lanes do not cause traffic congestion. Ripping them out will put people\u2019s lives at risk,\u201d said Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto.<\/p>\n
Toronto cycling deaths<\/p>\n
The cycling group has noted a 2024 Toronto city report that found 28 people had been killed and 380 seriously injured while cycling in Toronto over the past decade.<\/p>\n
These were mostly on streets without protected bike lanes.<\/p>\n
Late last year, the provincial government passed a bill banning new cycle lanes that reduces the number of vehicle lanes on a road in order to put in a cycle lane.<\/p>\n
This means that one of two vehicle lanes in one direction cannot be reconfigured for a cycle lane.<\/p>\n