Provincial officials are hoping to limit the number of new bike lanes being added to streets across Ontario.
The proposed legislation is set to be introduced when MPPs return to work for the fall sitting at Queens Park next Monday, and focuses on tackling gridlock.
Officials say if passed, the legislation would require municipalities to get provincial approval before installing any new bike lanes that might reduce lanes for vehicular 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.”
Chatham-Kent officials say staff will review the fine print once the legislation is introduced.
“In general, Chatham-Kent designs roadways from a complete streets perspective, ensuring that the needs of all users (pedestrians, cyclists, transit, motor vehicles) are accommodated to an acceptable level of service,” said Edward Soldo, General Manager of Infrastructure and Engineering in an email to CKXS News.
Along with plans to increase the speed limit to 110 km/h on all 400-series highways, where safe to do so, the government is also consulting with municipalities to develop a pothole prevention and repair fund to open in the 2025 construction season. The program would support smaller municipalities with road maintenance and set standards to help improve road conditions and promote high-quality roadwork across the province.