Seven Ottawa bike lane projects facing 'major impacts' due to new provincial law

Bike Ottawa board member Guillaume Gaillard says the advocacy organization is worried about the law because it would hinder Ottawa's plans to expand bike infrastructure across the city. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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The City of Ottawa has identified seven active road transformation projects that would face “major impacts” under a recent provincial law that limits municipalities’ ability to add bike lanes during road reconstructions.

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Under Ontario’s Bill 60, Ottawa cannot reduce the number of lanes available to vehicles for the purpose of installing bicycle lanes, according to a memo by city staff assessing the implications of the legislation on Ottawa cycling projects.

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The seven projects that are facing significant impacts are part of the city’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP), a guiding blueprint for the city’s transit and road infrastructure until 2046.

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“Staff are continuing to assess the (seven) remaining projects that are more significantly affected by Bill 60, as well as TMP projects that have not yet entered the design phase,” the city’s Active Transportation Planning program manager Kalle Hakala said in an email.

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The seven are part of a larger list of 27 active projects that city staff identified as having implications under the provincial law. Hakala said city staff have determined that 20 of the 27 impacted projects will be able to proceed “with only minor design modifications” to ensure compliance with Ontario’s Bill 60.

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The seven projects “majorly affected” include:

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Six of the seven projects have their detailed designs in progress, with only the city’s O’Connor Street bikeway project (Laurier Avenue to Wellington Street) having its designs completed. The overall project has been in the works for more than a decade.

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The provincial legislation, titled Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, became law in November last year after receiving royal assent.

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Bike Ottawa board member Guillaume Gaillard says he believes the province’s move fuels an existing “cultural war” between those in vehicles and those on bikes. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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The law is meant to pave the way for faster construction and infrastructure projects, improving transit and streamlining municipal regulatory processes, according to the bill.

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When it passed, the province’s law amended a wide range of Ontario acts, including the Construction Act, the Municipal Act, the Water Resources Act and Development Changes Act.

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The legislation, however, quickly became controversial when transportation advocates said the law would legally prevent municipalities from expanding bike lane networks in the city and increase safety concerns for those who choose the mode of transportation.

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Bike Ottawa board member Guillaume Gaillard says the advocacy organization is worried about the law because it would hinder Ottawa’s plans to expand bike infrastructure across the city.