▶ Bike Lanes
Bike lanes are designated areas for riding bicycles on the road, alongside, at grade, and in the same direction as traffic. The lanes are marked with a solid white line and periodic lane stenciling and signage to remind drivers they are there. Cyclists might once have considered themselves lucky to even have a portion of the road allocated for their use, but with the adoption of Vision Zero in Mississauga it is recognized that people on bikes require separated and protected bicycle lanes for safety along busy roads. Like many cities, Mississauga still has painted bike lanes. Paint is not infrastructure. Can bike lanes be made safer? ▶ See also: COVID Bike Lanes; Edge Lines
BILL 212: Mississauga Mayor's Letter to Ontario Minister of Transportation
[Posted: November 27, 2024]
▶ MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL AGENDA (November 27, 2024), Item 14.1.4: A letter dated November 20, 2024 to Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria Minister of Transportation regarding the Mississauga’s Cycling Master Plan and Bill 212 (2p PDF), from Mayor Carolyn Parrish. Letter images at left.
EXCERPT: "You will note from my October 30, 2024 letter that, in the case on Bloor Street, while the redesign removes a lane of traffic, cycle tracks are being provided in the boulevard. The removal of the traffic lane is needed to improve road safety and mobility for all users, while travel times are expected to remain constant, if not improve with this change."
"On behalf of MCAC and Mississauga Council, I ask that you and your ministry make decisions based on facts and studies, and work with municipalities, including Mississauga, to ensure we build roadways that support the safe mobility of all users. Cities know the infrastructure needed to move people effectively and to build safe communities."
▶ MCAC MOTION (November 12, 2024): "That the Mayor send a letter to the Province concerning Bill 212 (Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 – Building Highways Faster Act, 2024). (MCAC-0067-2024). Attached (p2) as MCAC REPORT 7- 2024 (3p PDF) on Council Agenda (November 13, 2024). Image of highlighted p2 at left.
This Motion came about due to a Question asked by MCN! contributor Natalie Halff during Public Question Period on the MCAC Agenda (November 12, 2024). Strangely, Bill 212 was NOT on the Agenda despite the MCAC not having met for two months and MCN! having asked that Bill 212 be on the MCAC Agenda. As PQP rules require an item to be on the Agenda in order for a public question to be asked, the Question was based on Item 7.1 Collision Trends in Mississauga (18p PDF).
▶ PUBLIC QUESTION: Referencing the City's commitment to Vision Zero since 2018, and the fact safe cycling infrastructure reduces injuries and fatalities (per the Presentation at 7.1) the Question was asked: Given that the Ontario government has introduced Bill 212 to restrict and even remove safe cycling infrastructure on municipal roads, can this committee make a Motion or send a Letter, as the Association of Municpalities of Ontario (AMO) and hundreds of other organizations have done, regarding the jurisdictional overreach and threat to road safety that this Bill presents? After discussion, the Motion which appears on the MCAC Report to Council was passed.
▶ VIDEO: MCAC discussion of Bill 212 further to the Public Question (beginning at 1:55:20).
BILL 212: MCN! submission to Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO #019-9266)
[Posted: November 20, 2024]
NOTE: This document with all *hyperlinks* may be accessed here (3p PDF).
Text of the submission by Mississauga Cycling Now! to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO #019-9266) concerning Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 - Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane.
WHO ARE WE? We are former members of the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC) for the 2015-2019 term, since then collaborating on advocacy as Mississauga Cycling Now! Our objective is to create the digital infrastructure necessary to support and promote citizen cycling advocacy and provide a reference/archive for cycling issues in Mississauga. We are presently providing input to the 2024 Mississauga Cycling Master Plan Update.
We submit the following comments regarding Bill 212:
INTRODUCTION: Mississauga, Ontario's third-largest city, is a city of significant barriers, the legacy of being planned and designed around cars. Segmented by seven (7) major highways plus wide and fast arterials and railway lines, as well as the Credit River and myriad creeks and streams, Active Transportation retrofits are needed to connect the City's historic communities and meet the City's ambitious targets for 50% sustainable mode share for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit-users by 2041. Meanwhile, whole neighbourhoods are isolated without car use.
1. MAIN ROADS: Mississauga is largely suburban in design with winding streets and disjointed connections. Only the main roads, such as Bloor Street which is used as an example in this document, provide direct north-south or east-west connections. There are no parallel "secondary roads" or side streets that could be meaningfully considered for designated bike routes. Like drivers, people on bikes look for the direct route and when these are available, can reduce the ever increasing number of cars on the roads. Mississauga's Changing Lanes project is reclassifying the streets, roads and major arteries in the City, to ensure our streets are safe and more convenient for all users.
2. INTEGRATED ROAD PROJECTS: Increasingly in Mississauga, street design changes in accordance with the City's Vision Zero program are planned when roads come up for repair, thereby saving tax dollars. These projects include a more extensive public consultation process as seen with the Bloor Street Redesign project. The intention is to improve Road Safety for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit riders; one result is lower traffic speeds. Speeding is a huge source of concern in Mississauga, especially on the main roads where safe cycling infrastructure is most needed. By segregating people on bikes travelling on main roads with safe bike lanes, traffic moves more smoothly. Restricting or removing cycling infrastructure on main (high speed) roads only serves to endanger people on bikes and disrupt traffic flow.
3. BIKES MEAN BUSINESS: It's a proven fact, as the Bloor Annex BIA in Etobicoke advocated at the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy (Hearing re Bill 212) on November 18, 2024: "after bike lanes were put in, spending went up and road conflicts went down." This fact has been proven in countless studies around the world. The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) has recently published Bike Lanes Save Lives, Boost Business, and Can Relieve Congestion. Here’s the Evidence (November 4, 2024).
4. CYCLING TOURISM: It's an economic driver, and Visit Mississauga ties in with cycling events when possible (e.g. Tour de Carassauga 2024). Because of the disconnected nature of cycling infrastructure in Mississauga presently, opportunities are limited, but completion of main routes will enable safe access to feature destinations from anywhere in the City.
5. CLIMATE CHANGE: Mississauga's Climate Change Action Plan has ambitious goals to reduce emissions: Cut carbon/GHG emissions 40% by 2030; 80% by 2050. Achievement of these goals will require completion of a logical cycling network to enable a safe and efficient alternative to car travel and promote a greater, greener modal split. In fact, the City has just announced it is setting more ambitious targets aligned with the international goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
6. HEALTHY CITY STRATEGY: Diabetes is virtually an epidemic in Mississauga and our City has developed a Healthy City Strategy per the ~Cities for Better Health (CBH) Program~ which includes "Implementing the Cycling Master Plan ... building new multi-use trails and protected cycling infrastructure." But this infrastructure must also be where people need or want to ride, and in our City that often means the main roads in order to traverse barriers.
7. MISSISSAUGA CYCLING MASTER PLAN (CMP): Public engagement was to begin this Fall on the 2024 CMP update, but is now delayed to the new year due to the uncertainty of what will be allowed by the province. Without full control over the location and format of cycling infrastructure using local municipal knowledge, the CMP Update process will be stymied and development of optimal active transportation solutions to mitigate traffic congestion will be delayed.
8. E-SCOOTER PILOT PROJECT: Mississauga is conducting a shared e-scooters pilot project per Ontario’s e-scooter pilot program running until November 27, 2029. The expectation is that cycling infrastructure will expand and support the safe use of micro-mobility devices anywhere in the City. Eliminating or restricting bike lanes on main roads can only result in collisions as destination-oriented micro-mobility usage grows.
9. POPULATION GROWTH: There will never be enough traffic lanes to accommodate cars for all the people coming. Ontario's *own* demographic projections in the document Ontario's Long-term Report on the Economy 2024-46 (146p PDF) highlight a continued rapid rise in population and concentration of this growth in urban areas, where the brunt of Bill 212 will be most harmful in limiting mobility options and actually compounding congestion. See Chapter 1 (p5): Demographic Trends and Projections.
10. DEVELOPMENT AND DENSITY: Like many cities, Mississauga has lowered its parking standards (17p PDF; Appendix 1: zoning amendments at Item 5.5 on PDC Agenda) to both reduce the cost of a new condominium for first time buyers and optimize the densification of Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) as required by the province, per the new Provincial Planning Statement, 2024. Less parking near transit stations makes sense. But without a car, new condo owners face a mobility challenge if cycling infrastructure is not installed to their door. On Bloor Street in Mississauga, for instance, several new condo buildings are planned even as the Bloor Street Redesign project is now "paused" due to the uncertainty about Bill 212.
11. CITY BUILDING: Urban mobility is a vital component of planning and developing liveable sustainable cities. Cycling is integral to solving Mississauga's conjoined issues of rapid densification and growing traffic congestion due to too many cars, especially on main roads. Successful cities around the world (2024 Top 10 most bicycle-friendly cities includes Montreal, PQ) promote cycling to benefit not only mobility but also road safety, social equity, air quality, public health, economic activity and tourism. More than 80% of Ontarians live in urban areas (including Mississauga), where municipal governments can best decide how to configure and optimize their own transportation infrastructure. See Mississauga's Transit and Road Infrastructure Plan.
12. AFFORDABLE LIVING: When owning a car (or using transit) is too expensive, a safe cycling network enables access to affordable grocery stores (or food banks) which may be further away; the opportunity for non-local employment; and more money available for housing costs. The province and the City are in the midst of both a food insecurity and a housing crisis. A balanced transportation system allowing for equitable personal mobility needs to be supported by the province, not thwarted.
13. FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY: With affordability an issue of great concern in Ontario, it is irresponsible to spend more taxpayer money to undo municipal investments already made in safe cycling infrastructure. We note the framework of Bill 212 mandates provincial approval for new bike lanes on municipal roads requiring removal of a traffic lane and for existing ones, where a traffic lane was removed. The framework goes even further, naming specific Toronto bike lanes which are to be removed absent any quantitative justification, at the expense of all taxpayers in the province. In Mississauga, the Bloor Street Integrated Road Project, now known as the Bloor Street Redesign project, has been "paused" (Mississauga News, November 1, 2024) pending a better understanding of the proposed legislation and any clarifying regulations. Staff has documented that over $800k was spent on public engagement and several design iterations to arrive at the chosen design (Alternative 6 - 4p PDF) involving a 4-to-3 traffic lane conversion and protected cycle tracks. Procurement has already taken place.
14. PROVINCIAL OVERREACH AND INTERFERENCE: For a government with the catch phrase "Get it Done" it is strange to see a Bill 'getting it undone'. For a government touting a Ministry of Red Tape Reduction it is strange to see a Bill layering on the red tape yet to be specified in regulations. For a government that has stated (Premier - April 3, 2024) "I believe in letting municipalities determine what is good for their communities and what is not good for their communities," it is strange to see a Bill committing the Province to micro-manage an entirely local issue and interfere with democratic municipal process. Such overreach into municipal affairs when primary provincial responsibilities such as Health, Education, the Courts system (and social services in Peel Region) are being underfunded is strange indeed. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) expressed this in their submission (4p PDF) to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy (Hearing re Bill 212) on November 18, 2024: "The proposed bike lane framework is a very troubling overreach into municipal planning."
15. INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT: The content of Bill 212 and its ramifications for Ontario's largest cities are being noticed by the rest of the world. Disbelief and mockery are the reactions of cities preparing for the 21st century by installing safe cycling infrastructure. Urbanists, city planners and transportation engineers have spoken out. Uniquely in Ontario, ideology and anecdotes have supplanted data-based evidence and international best practices in the creation of Bill 212. Bikes v cars: backlash after Ontario premier threatens to tear up cycling lanes in Toronto -- The Guardian (UK) November 18, 2024.
MCN! CONTRIBUTORS:
END OF DOCUMENT
BILL 212: Proposed Provincial Bike Lane Restrictions
[Updated: October 31, 2024]
▶ TEXT OF BILL 212: Introduced in the Ontario Legislature, October 21, 2024: Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024. Search on the word 'bicycle' -- it occurs 18 times in the Bill; use this term to find the pertinent sections of the proposed Act. NOTE: "Ministry may review existing bicycle lanes."
▶ PUBLIC CONSULTATION: Public consultation on the "Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane" within Bill 212 is open via the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). Comments may be submitted online at ERO #019-9266 until Wed. November 20, 2024. ERO webpage image at left.
EXCERPT: "Proposal summary: The framework for bike lanes would enable provincial approval authority for the installation of new bike lanes on municipal roads, where the removal of a vehicle lane is required. It would also provide the ability to compel municipalities to collect and provide information to the province on existing bike lanes where a lane of traffic was removed." NOTE: There is question as to whether parking lanes can be reallocated. Parking lanes are used by cars, although not moving, so even that option for reallocation may not exist for cities.
But wait, there's more...
UPDATE TO BILL 212 Framework: (October 31, 2024) "It also provides for the removal of the bike lanes on Bloor St., Yonge St., and University Ave. in the City of Toronto and to return them to a lane of traffic."
▶ PUBLIC HEARINGS: Public hearings on the "Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane" within Bill 212 take place on Monday, November 18, 2024 at the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy. View the AGENDA listing groups and individuals selected (from all registrants) to make presentations to the Committee, beginning at 1:00pm. View the LIVESTREAM. NOTE: Third Reading is scheduled for November 25, 2024.
▶ Mississauga News article (October 1, 2024): 'Very frustrated': Mississauga cycling advocates call for Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government to rethink possible new bike lane restrictions.
SIGN THE PETITION: I Love Bike Lanes.
▶ Ontario News Release (October 15, 2024): Ontario Fighting Gridlock and Making Life Easier for Drivers: Province proposing restrictions for bike lanes, raising highway speed limits, freezing knowledge and road test fees and fixing potholes.
EXCERPT: "The Ontario government is making life easier for drivers by introducing legislation that would, if passed, require municipalities to receive approval from the province before installing new bike lanes that would result in the removal of lanes for traffic. Municipalities would be required to demonstrate that the proposed bike lanes won’t have a negative impact on vehicle traffic."
"Cities in Ontario have seen an explosion of bike lanes, including many that were installed during the pandemic when fewer vehicles were on the road and their impacts on traffic were unclear," said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. "Too many drivers are now stuck in gridlock as a result, which is why our government is bringing informed decision-making and oversight to bike lanes as well as taking steps to increase speed limits safely and clean up potholes."
▶ RESPONSE by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO): AMO Policy Update: Province to Introduce Legislation Governing Bicycle Lanes (October 16, 2024) or click image at left.
EXCERPT: "Bicycle lanes are an essential element of urban transportation planning and road safety. Requiring provincial approval would be a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction. Based on local knowledge and community input, municipalities develop transportation plans that balance traffic flow with planning priorities like active transportation, multimodal transportation and environmental and health protection. AMO is not aware of any consultation with municipalities regarding bicycle lanes or of the evidence the province considered in its decision."
Rally & Ride for Safe Streets
[Updated: October 22, 2024]
RALLY & RIDE FOR SAFE STREETS: Wed. October 23, 2024 @ 5pm (Rally at Queen's Park, south lawn) with Ride to follow @ 5:30pm. POSTER or click image at left.
Why is this Rally taking Place? The Coalition for Complete Streets, a collection of community groups and road safety advocates from across Ontario (including MCN!), is holding a Rally and Rike Ride on October 23 in response to proposed provincial legislation that would restrict the installation of bike lanes where motor vehicle lanes would have to be reduced (known as a road diet). In addition, the premier has said that some bike lanes may be removed retroactively when having them in place brings "traffic in our cities to a standstill."
$55 Fine for Stopping or Parking in Bicycle Lanes
[Posted: March 25, 2022; Updated: May 3, 2022]
STARTING MAY 2022: "Starting in May, drivers will be fined $55 for stopping or parking in bike lanes. While physically separated bike lanes will be part of major road projects moving forward, these updated by-laws will deter this behaviour on our existing painted bike lanes, where cyclists are most vulnerable. Enforcement by the City will begin in May. Proactive enforcement will also occur this spring in locations previously identified by residents and on roads that have vehicle parking and painted bike lanes. If you see drivers parking or stopping in a bike lane, we encourage you to call 311 so that the location can be flagged for enforcement." -- Excerpt from City of Mississauga - News Release ⤵️
▶ City of Mississauga - News Release (April 6, 2022): Stopping or Parking in a Mississauga Bike Lane Will Cost You.
IMAGE: Screenshot (above) is from Google Maps, showing the all-too common occurrence of a vehicle stopped or parked in the marked bicycle lane. This is Confederation Parkway just south of Princess Royal Drive in the City Centre. Click link and continue moving south in Street View to see constuction vehicles stopped in the bike lane.
Background:
CORPORATE REPORT: Presented at Council (GC) on March 30, 2022. The Corporate Report (6p PDF) from Transportation & Works concerns proposed fines for non-exempted vehicles in designated bike lanes.
RECOMMENDATION: "That an administrative penalty be established for parking, standing or stopping a vehicle in bicycle lanes by amending the following by-laws as outlined in the corporate report dated March 11, 2022 from the Commissioner of Transportation and Works entitled "Administrative Penalties for Parking, Standing or Stopping in Bicycle Lanes (All Wards)." The recommended fine is $55.00 🧾 and if approved, enforcement could begin as soon as May 2, 2022.
APPROVED: Recommendation in GC Report (p2 of PDF) at Council: April 6, 2022. See text box (below) for wording.
BIKE LANE - DEFINITION: It was also recommended by T&W that the City adopt a formal definition of a bicycle lane:
"The Traffic By-law (0555-2000) does not currently include a formal definition of a bicycle lane. A formal definition would improve clarity when the City seeks to add new enforcement tools. For example, edge lines are frequently used in Mississauga as a traffic calming device. The lines are visually similar on the roadway to bicycle lanes, however there are specific bicycle stencil and diamond markings and specific signage that distinguish bicycle lanes from edge lines and other uses. A formal definition gives the City a stronger foundation to consistently enforce new penalties. A formal definition is therefore recommended to be added, with language that is largely consistent with definitions found in the Region of Peel and City of Brampton’s by-laws: 'Bicycle Lane' means a portion of the roadway designated for unidirectional bicycle traffic only and denoted by authorized signs and pavement markings."
Edge Lines: Different from Bike Lanes
[Posted: April 30, 2022]
Often confused with bicycle lanes, edge lines are painted on the road to narrow the driving lanes in residential areas. This has the effect of calming (slowing) traffic as may be requested by residents. Cyclists ride close to the curb and if there is an edge line they will appear to be riding in a bike lane. Depending on the distance of the edge line to the curb, cyclists may benefit with increased distance from the traffic lane, assuming of course there are no parked cars on the street.
IMAGE: Screenshot (left) is from Google Maps, showing edge lines on Terry Fox Way which narrow the traffic lanes and leave wide 'shoulders'.
Narrow edge lines (i.e. painted very close to the curb) still convey the message to vehicles that the lane is narrowed, but from a cycling point of view, it may be necessary to ride on or to the left of the line (on the traffic side), in order to maintain a safe distance from the curb. When such edge lines are wrongly viewed as cycling lanes, there may be surprise or anger at their narrow width, but understand: the intention is to narrow the traffic lanes, and slower traffic benefits the cyclist. There are designated bike lanes which are too narrow, a topic to be discussed separately.
STREET PARKING? Street parking is allowed on roads with edge lines, unless there is 'No Parking' signage posted. Designated bicycle lanes are marked and signed (per definition above) and NO street parking is allowed, since parked (or stopped) vehicles will obstruct the bike lane and cause people on bikes to have to suddenly enter the traffic lane.
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