Toronto Mayoral Candidates Are Getting Feisty About Bike Lanes

Toronto cyclists have had a tough year: From getting relentlessly ticketed by police for riding over the speed limit in High Park (picture Central Park, but in Canada) to a looming potential crackdown on ebike ownership to the current mayoral debate about the future of bike lanes. It all adds up to a blur of messy politics that are making life harder for those who ride for fun or work.

The most recent debate over bike lanes came from two men who are running for the now-vacant mayoral position in the city. With lines like “He’s wrong… because that’s stupid,” it’s hard to believe that this is where we’re at with the state of politics. Yes, that’s an actual quote from Toronto mayoral candidate Josh Matlow in a recent back and forth around bike lanes. (And they say Canadians are always polite.)

His logic is, in fact, stupid

That said, Matlow is correct: his opposition is wrong and his logic is, in fact, stupid. Matlow has been campaigning for an increase in bike-able and pedestrian-friendly paths to navigate the large city, and is a firm believer in Vision Zero. “The more people who have a safe and reliable way to bike around our city means fewer people in cars in front of us,” he recently told reporters. “The more people who have places to walk, and transit that they can rely on, means fewer people in cars creating the traffic that we are all part of.”

His opponent, Mark Saunders, the former police chief of Toronto, has claimed he is also in favor of bike lanes—but added that he would remove some of the ones that exist in high-traffic areas in order to ‘help ease the gridlock.’

“I think bike lanes are a good thing and I think they’re a healthy thing,” he told The Star. "I’m against how it’s being done, how it’s affecting businesses, how it’s affecting the congestion.”

He didn’t add any further explanation of how to, you know, have bike lanes so people could navigate the city—particularly the highly trafficked areas that people are trying to access—without taking up any of the road. For a guy who claims he's in favor of bike lanes, his campaign doesn't exactly show that. He tweeted that he plans to stop any bike lane expansion and walk back several of the existing protected lanes.

It's also worth noting that since adding certain high-traffic bike lanes, cyclist and pedestrian injuries have decreased based on stats collected by, ironically, the police department that Saunders managed:

At least the topic of bike lanes is coming up as an issue

The last Toronto mayor, John Tory, who resigned in February did prioritize adding 100 kilometers of bike lane in and around the city by the end of 2024—so it will be interesting to see if the incoming mayor continues with Tory’s plan. Clearly, it's not on Saunders agenda.

As this debate rages between the mayoral candidates as the June 26 election gets closer, another item has been introduced at Toronto’s City Council today: Item DM6.3, regarding “Micro-mobility Couriers.” This act, targeting cyclists who use the sidewalks, has immediate implications on the lack of bike lanes for cyclists, particularly those working in the delivery space.

Well-known cycling lawyer Dave Shellnut of The Biking Lawyer has already expressed concerns to the Council about this motion, which would require couriers and delivery people using e-bikes to register said bikes, and would essentially ‘crack down’ on issues like sidewalk usage by e-bike delivery people. (The motion reads: “Toronto Police Service to increase enforcement of illegal behavior by micro-mobility couriers, particularly those who ride vehicles on sidewalks.”)

“If sidewalk cycling presents the widespread problem it is alleged to, then those companies responsible for encouraging this behavior must be the primary target,” Shellnut wrote in the open letter. “Sending police after people trying to earn a living, many of whom are BIPOC and/or new Canadians is an inefficient and potentially harmful attempt to address community safety concerns.”

Because the bill claims to focus on safety of pedestrians, Shellnut points out that in the first 45 days of 2023 alone, 197 pedestrians and 42 cyclists were hit by motorists. No similar efforts are being made to improve pedestrian or cyclist safety from vehicles. He notes that a better use of time would be to focus on improving infrastructure for the riders and pedestrians, rather than punishing cyclists trying to earn a living. This could obviously include improved bike lanes and accessibility.

While it’s unclear what the future holds for cyclists in Toronto, the city clearly is packed with passionate cyclists and advocates who are working towards that goal of Vision Zero and improved options for those who commute and play on two wheels.

You Might Also Like

• The Right Chain Lube Can Save You Thousands

• Everything You Need to Start E-Bike Commuting

• 7 Things You Should Do After Every Rainy Ride