Newmarket Mayor John Taylor is criticizing a provincial move that could require municipalities to get approval for new bike lanes.
The provincial government announced Oct. 15 that it will introduce legislation that will force municipalities to get provincial approval for bike lanes that reduce lanes for other forms of traffic.
While the Town of Newmarket has not had any projects like that in recent years, Taylor questioned upper levels of government stepping into municipal planning jurisdiction.
“There has been a recent trend for the provincial and federal governments to try to plan local towns and cities, and I do not think this is either helpful or productive,” Taylor said. “We need to recognize that municipalities have the expertise and experience that other levels of government do not have when it comes to planning communities — planning that includes housing and bike lanes.”
The move from the province comes with bike lanes being a point of debate in Toronto and other communities. Newmarket had its own debate regarding bike lanes on Clearmeadow Boulevard when the town put planned bikes lanes on hold, but in that case, the opposition's concern was principally that bike lanes reduce on-street parking.
Under the legislation, if approved, municipalities would need approval before installing new bike lanes if they are removing lanes for traffic. Municipalities would have to demonstrate the bike lanes would not negatively impact 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,” Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a news release. “Too many drivers are now stuck in gridlock as a result.”
Newmarket has put its own active transportation plan on hold for the past three years, leaving the future of additional bike lanes in limbo. However, construction is ongoing on the Mulock multi-use path, which promises more friendly cycling and pedestrian travel. The town could also address the on-street parking dispute with bike lanes through a residential parking study coming before council Oct. 21.
“We are proud to offer trails and bike lanes in Newmarket, as well as transit and roads,” Taylor said. “The balance we strike between various modes of transportation is the hallmark of good planning, which involves public opinion and public input. I would suggest that trying to plan communities, that have different characteristics from the provincial level, will lead to unintended outcomes and public frustration.”
The move from the province has also garnered criticism from local bike enthusiasts. Newmarket cycling advocate Peggy Stevens said provincial priorities should be elsewhere and that cycling could actually address gridlock problems.
"A good way to reduce congestion on the streets is to allow people to travel safely by bike so they don't have to be in a car," she said.
She added that she remains frustrated with the pace of new bike lanes in Newmarket.
"There are a lot more people riding their bicycles for transportation in Newmarket than there were even two years ago, so we're not going away," Stevens said. "The town's going to have to figure out, and the province's going to have to figure out, how to make it easier and safer for people to use their bikes."
The province plans to introduce the legislation Oct. 21. The province simultaneously announced plans to increase the speed limit to 110 km/h on all 400-series highways.
