What a bizarre story. Toronto voters elect a city government in favor of bike lanes, then for some reason the premier of Ontario decides he knows what Toronto needs better than Toronto voters do, and now a judge decides that removing bike lanes is somehow unconstitutional because apparently the constitution is detailed enough to specify things like that. (Does this mean that it’s unconstitutional to have any roads without bike lanes, or is it just unconstitutional to remove existing bike lanes?) I drive, bike lanes piss me off, but they’re a local matter that should be decided by the local government.
because apparently the constitution is detailed enough to specify things like that.
It’s impossible for laws to include every single possible detail. Lawyers and judges exist to apply generic laws to specific cases. In this case, a lawyer argued that removing bike lanes creates a saftey issue and since the constitution says the government must protect “life and security of the person”, removing bike lanes goes against the constitution. The judge agreed with the argument.
Agreed! Most bike lanes end up being nothing more than a painted bicycle gutter.
What we truly need is dedicated cycle paths adjacent to busy roads, and low-traffic, low-speed streets in commercial or residential areas where cyclists and pedestrians are prioritized over car traffic (see the Dutch city-planning concept of autoluw)
What a bizarre story. Toronto voters elect a city government in favor of bike lanes, then for some reason the premier of Ontario decides he knows what Toronto needs better than Toronto voters do, and now a judge decides that removing bike lanes is somehow unconstitutional because apparently the constitution is detailed enough to specify things like that. (Does this mean that it’s unconstitutional to have any roads without bike lanes, or is it just unconstitutional to remove existing bike lanes?) I drive, bike lanes piss me off, but they’re a local matter that should be decided by the local government.
I’m sorry, bike lanes piss you off?
Pissed off at bike lanes.
Perturbed by marked road shoulders.
Panicked by meridians.
Pathological Pathway Prejudice is a real disease and it KILLS people!
Show some empathy!
It’s impossible for laws to include every single possible detail. Lawyers and judges exist to apply generic laws to specific cases. In this case, a lawyer argued that removing bike lanes creates a saftey issue and since the constitution says the government must protect “life and security of the person”, removing bike lanes goes against the constitution. The judge agreed with the argument.
You prefer cyclists ride in the regular traffic lane then? Because that’s the alternative here.
Agreed! Most bike lanes end up being nothing more than a painted bicycle gutter.
What we truly need is dedicated cycle paths adjacent to busy roads, and low-traffic, low-speed streets in commercial or residential areas where cyclists and pedestrians are prioritized over car traffic (see the Dutch city-planning concept of autoluw)
I see Ontario is the Missouri of Canada