Weeks after being ordered to pause plans to take away bike lanes from three main streets in Toronto, the Ford government says it’s submitting an enchantment in opposition to the injunction.
On the finish of April, an Ontario judge told the government it must suspend any imminent plans to remove bike lanes from Bloor Avenue, Yonge Avenue or College Avenue whereas he deliberated on whether or not or not the transfer was constitutional.
The choose mentioned not granting an injunction ran the chance of the federal government eradicating bike lanes earlier than the courts may determine if the legislation enabling it to take action was constitutional.
Whereas biking advocates welcomed the short-term reprieve as a win, it infuriated Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who accused the judge of being guided by “ideology” in controversial feedback.
“We get elected, we transfer ahead, and a few choose — due to ideology — decides to place an injunction on bike lanes,” the premier mentioned on April 30. “You’ve received to be kidding me; the system is damaged.”
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The federal government indicated on the time that it might enchantment in opposition to the injunction.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed the enchantment in opposition to the injunction had been initiated.
“As we’ve all the time mentioned, we have to preserve our busiest roads shifting and that’s precisely what we’re doing,” a spokesperson mentioned in a quick assertion.
Cyclists who introduced the problem argued that eradicating bike lanes would put their lives in danger and improve deaths on Toronto’s roads.
The group argued that the choice to take away the bike-specific bike lanes was made arbitrarily and wouldn’t assist cut back congestion.
The federal government mentioned through the court docket course of that eradicating bike lanes wouldn’t violate the structure and would enhance gridlock in downtown Toronto.
The authorized problem stems from a legislation the Ford authorities handed final yr, which made cities show that new bike lanes that cut back the variety of car lanes on a highway wouldn’t improve congestion.
The legislation required cities and cities to get provincial approval earlier than eradicating a visitors lane so as to add a brand new bike lane. To obtain approval, they needed to present that the change wouldn’t make congestion worse.
The laws additionally allowed the federal government to take away bike lanes from Bloor, Yonge and College in Toronto and put in place critiques of all new lanes added prior to now 5 years.
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