Premier Doug Ford slammed an Ontario judge’s bike lane decision Wednesday, while vowing to push ahead with his plan to build a tunnel under Highway 401.
An Ontario court struck down the provincial government’s plan to remove three major Toronto bike lanes last week, a decision the government said it would appeal.
“Worst case of trampling on people’s rights that I’ve ever seen ever,” Ford told reporters at an unrelated news conference Wednesday, calling it the “most ridiculous decision I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, when asked by reporters about the Highway 401 tunnel, Ford was similarly committed to proceeding with his government’s plan.
“Times have changed,” Ford said. “Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean we can’t do it.”
Documents obtained by CBC News found Ford’s government had studied tunneling under Highway 401, but quietly shelved the unreleased work in 2021. As Global News reported earlier on Wednesday, the work came to a stop after the province’s internal analysis found a “potential for roadway collapse” and “risks to public safety.”
Ford said he has been publicly talking about the tunnel since 2018. But when asked by CBC about whether the 2021 report will be released, he said that he “can’t even remember [what was happening] back in 2019.”
However, he said he recalls people wanted a tunnel back then, and he said this project now is a “fresh” start to mitigate traffic issues.
Ford also spoke about negotiations with the United States, saying Canada “should never, ever take a back seat to anyone,” especially U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s hurting American companies so they need to shift and start looking at working collaboratively with us,” he said.
An Ontario court ruled against the Ford government’s plan to remove bike lanes along three major Toronto streets. CBC’s Tyler Cheese has reaction from those on both sides of the debate.
Province will appeal court ruling on bike lanes
Ford said the court’s decision went against the rights of Ontarians, who had elected his government in February to “move, not eliminate” the bike lanes.
He said his team planned to move the three bike lanes to secondary streets off of Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue.
Ford has already said his government plans to appeal, even as it works on a compromise with the city to both keep the bike lanes and add extra lanes for vehicle traffic.
He said he has faith that the Court of Appeal for Ontario will overturn the lower-court ruling, but in the event it does not, he did not rule out using the notwithstanding clause to save the law.
“Let’s see what happens at the Court of Appeals and then we’ll go from there,” said Ford.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas ruled the lane removals would put people at an “increased risk of harm and death” and violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Schabas noted that the government had received advice from experts, reports from Toronto officials and evidence from the city and elsewhere that removing bike lanes “will not achieve the asserted goal” of the law to reduce traffic.
Hwy. 401 tunnel will have 3 levels, Ford says
The Highway 401 tunnel will be a ground-breaking project unlike anything else in the world, said Ford.
While work is expected to go ahead after a new feasibility study is completed, Ford said safety will be the number priority of the project.
“Just because it hasn’t been done, it doesn’t mean we can’t do it,” said Ford.
He said preliminary plans for the tunnel have it at 19.5 metres wide with three levels: one for eastbound traffic, one for westbound traffic, and a third for a train.
According to documents obtained by CBC News, the Ford government already studied tunneling under Highway 401, but the idea was shelved in 2021, several years before the premier announced his controversial plan.
“No one’s ever done that,” he said. “People will be thankful [for] years to come, decades to come.”
Ford claimed traffic congestion costs Ontario’s economy $56 billion a year.
The new project will not only solve traffic, but he said it will boost the economy and “get goods to market a lot faster.”
The government has begun the process to complete a new feasibility study into tunneling or building an elevated expressway above the current highway. That study isn’t expected to be completed until 2027.
Tunnel project is a ‘waste’ of money: Green Party leader
The tunnel project is yet another example of Ford “putting his own interests ahead of” Ontarians, said Mike Schreiner, leader of the Ontario Green Party.
Despite warnings from experts and Ministry of Transportation staff, Ford has chosen to “plow ahead with his fantasy 401 tunnel,” said Schreiner.
“I’m calling on Doug Ford to come clean with the people of Ontario,” he said. “Why is the premier willing to waste even more time and taxpayer money repeating this study, except to benefit his inner circle of wealthy, well-connected insiders?”
Schreiner says the province should instead focus on creating affordable transit and “connected communities” to address traffic concerns.
