Angela Caputo tells Doug Ford to stay in his lane

Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo says Sault Ste. Marie is more than capable of making its own traffic decisions and she wants Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to keep their bib shorts out of our bike lanes.

This week, the province announced its intention to grant itself veto power over new bike lanes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic.

The province is also expected to review data from municipalities about bike lane projects started over the past five years.

"When strategically placed, bike lanes are a vital part of every city, offering residents a safe and reliable way to move around," Minister Sarkaria told a news conference.

"What cities should not be doing, however, is taking away lanes of traffic on our most congested roads," Sarkaria told reporters.

Premier Ford talked about the issue last month.

"There's a petition just in Etobicoke for 50,000 people signing to get rid of these bike lanes," the premier said.

"You might see four or five bikes as you see traffic lined up all the way down the road for kilometres and kilometres.... It's an absolute disaster."

"This undermines local authority and municipal planning," Caputo and Ward 1 Coun. Sonny Spina say in a resolution to be presented at Monday's city council meeting.

"If passed, this legislation would be adding more red tape to advancing active transportation initiatives across the province."

The following is the full text of the Caputo/Spina resolution:

Interference in Bike Lane Allocation

Mover: Coun. A. Caputo

Seconder: Coun. S. Spina

Whereas currently municipal transportation decisions are made by municipal officials informed by local knowledge and in consultation with local residents; and

Whereas the Ontario government has stated it will introduce legislation that, if passed, would require municipalities to get provincial approval before building any new bike lanes that reduce lanes of vehicle traffic and would force municipalities to demonstrate any proposed bike lanes will not have a "negative impact on vehicle traffic;" and

Whereas this undermines local authority and municipal planning, specifically the Active Transportation Master Plan; and

Whereas the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, which represents 444 municipalities in the province has stated “It is unclear how the Ministry of Transportation will be in a better position to make decisions about local matters;” and

Whereas, if passed, this legislation would be adding more red tape to advancing active transportation initiatives across the province

Now therefore be it resolved that Mayor Shoemaker write a letter to the Honourable Doug Ford, premier of Ontario and the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria expressing the City of Sault Ste Marie’s opposition to this proposed legislation

This article includes files from the Canadian Press.