Doug Ford makes several exaggerated claims about Toronto bike lanes
CBC
Premier Doug Ford made several exaggerated claims about bike lanes in Toronto at a news conference on Monday — including a comment about emergency response times increasing, which the city debunked two years ago.
Last week, CBC Toronto reported the Ontario government is considering bringing forward legislation that could ban the installation of bike lanes when lanes for motor vehicles are removed as a result.
The government has not answered direct questions from CBC Toronto about the plan, so Ford's comments stand as the clearest window into the government's deliberation on the new policy, which is expected to be made public later this fall.
You can watch Ford's comments below.
WATCH | Ford makes exaggerated comments on Toronto bike lanes:
Here's a breakdown of Ford's statements and the accuracy of what he said:
"Talk to our first responders that are pulling their hair out, the fire trucks that can't get across the road because there's barriers or there's bike lanes and they're backed up. Talk to our police that are trying to get to a call or our paramedics. It's an absolute disaster, it's a nightmare."
In an email to CBC Toronto Tuesday, the city said emergency services have not raised concerns about facing difficulties due to bike lanes.
"Emergency services are accustomed to manoeuvring through a variety of road conditions throughout the city on a daily basis and will continue to take the route that provides the fastest response based on the specific conditions at the time of dispatch," the email said.
CBC Toronto has reached out to the Toronto Police Service.
In June, the city released an analysis of emergency response times related to the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension project. The extension included installing cycle tracks separated by concrete curbs, bollards and planters.
After the project was installed, Toronto Fire's response time in the area increased by 30 seconds, compared to the same period in 2022.
City-wide for the same period, fire response time increased by two seconds.
Paramedic response time increased by 42 seconds in the area compared to before the project was installed, data shows. However, its response time for the entire city also increased by 45 seconds over the same period.
