In recent months, municipalities, either have or are taking steps to remove bike lanes in cities and towns througout the Province of Ontario. Brampton is one of these cities.
High levels of complaints from residents and motorists are compelling politicians to take immediate action. Bicycle infrastructure that took years at significant cost to plan and implement, is being ripped out in weeks or months at additional tax-payer expense. Municipal election candidates are building their platforms on a promise of removing more cycling infrastructure if they are elected at the end of next month.
Yet, on the other side of the issue, are active transportation and environmental advocates, public health and traffic demand managment professionals, and city planning experts who say Ontario needs to be building more cycling infrastructure in its cities, not less.
This post is an attempt to elevate the conversation, to look at underlying issues facing cities across the Province and then ask the question, “If not bike lanes then what?
Most cities are facing similar issues that can be lumped into the following categories:
- Road capacity issues contributing to traffic congestion and parking availability,
- Public health issues related to road related injury and death due to excessive speed and aggressive driving,
- Road related air quality issues leading to greater incidence of diseases such as asthma, COPD, chronic fatique,
- Health issues related to lack of sufficient exercise leading to diseases such as Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Health impacts due to climate – change including, excessive heat, flood risk, wind damage, and disease caused by invasive species migration, i.e. ticks,
- Quality of life environmental issues related to carbon emissions, traffic noise, road construction, salt, contributing to climate change, habitat loss, and species extinction.
All of these issues have a productivity and economic impact amounting to billions of dollars, in addition to personal pain and suffering and, deterioration of quality of life.
So here’s the thing, bike lanes contribute to addressing ALL of these issues.
Bike lanes encourage more cycling behaviour .
Bike lanes actually increase road vehicle carrying capacity leading to less road congestion not more.
Bike lanes are an effective tool for calming traffic, leading to safer roads for ALL road users
More cycling means more people get more exercise leading to better health outcomes
More cycling means fewer cars on the road meaning less congestion, less pollution, and safer roads
Installing bike lanes, leads to a safer, healthier, more connected communities, improved quality of life and helps meet our national and global responsibility to reduce environmental impacts.
On the one hand we have a significant number of people who want bike lanes removed because of a perceived loss of personal convenience, exacerbated by temporary construction issues that won’t be there in a year’s time.
On the other hand we have significant community benefit from bike lanes in the form of improved road safety, better health outcomes and environmental benefits. So my challenge to all of those people who want bike lanes removed is, what are you going to do instead to address these issues as Brampton continues on its path to 1M residents in the next few years. To avoid total gridlock as forecasted in Brampton’s Mobility Plan, how will Brampton achieve its goal by 2050 of getting 70,000 people to wake up each morning and say, “I’m choosing not to drive my car to work or school etc. today.”