Article content
Article content
Consultation on how to make Orléans Boulevard more cycling-friendly will also be one of the projects put on hold. Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas said she didn’t believe the province was best positioned to make decisions on local infrastructure.
Article content
“I am concerned that this decision is being made at a very high bird’s-eye-view level and doesn’t really understand the nuances of what a community would like to see and have on their own streets and sidewalks,” Dudas said.
Article content
This bill is also likely to cost the city even more money, councillors say. Funds have already been invested in many of these cycling infrastructure projects through consultations and environmental assessments, and Tierney adds the city may take on extra costs if bike lane projects are converted to multi-use pathways on adjacent land.
Article content
“We’re going to have to work together and hope the province will see opportunities for us to at least provide us land because this will be much more costly as a municipality, and there will be tough decisions,” Tierney said.
Article content
Article content
Some advocates are also sounding the alarm about the vague wording in the legislation that prohibits motor vehicle lanes from being turned into bike lanes or “for any other prescribed purpose.”
Article content
Tom Ledgley, co-ordinator with the local advocacy group Horizon Ottawa, says he’s worried that wording may give Ontario’s transportation minister the authority to shut down rapid transit bus lanes, among other uses.
Article content
“If they’re not listing what these priorities are … then what about temporarily shutting down vehicle lanes for a street festival or something? I don’t think that’s the target for this, but it’s very hard to tell because the language is so vague,” Ledgley said.
Article content
The Ministry of Transportation did not respond in time for publication when asked how it planned to use the legislation beyond restricting bike lanes. However, Tierney said he had confirmed with the province that bus lane projects would not be impacted.
Article content
Article content
“It appears transit priority is safe,” Tierney said. “It really comes down to removing automobile lanes for cycling.”
Article content
While the bill is currently in second reading in the legislature, the Ford government introduced a motion on Wednesday to fast-track the omnibus bill, which would bypass committee hearings entirely.
Article content
This isn’t the first time municipal direction has been shaped by accelerated provincial legislation, following the Ford government’s recent decision to fast-track legislation to remove speed cameras across the province.
Article content
“It is (the province) that makes the decision, just like the removal of automated speed enforcement, and now we have to live with the consequences,” Tierney said. “We’re going down the same path with (Bill 60).”
Article content
Ledgley says it’s frustrating to see this proposed legislation push the city backward in its plans to advance active transportation infrastructure and to reduce the number of cars on the road.
