Brampton’s active transportation plan stymied by Ford’s bike lane takeover, safety, accessibility & infrastructure issues

Realizing the vision of Brampton's Active Transportation Master Plan was never going to be easy. 

The municipality's reliance on automobiles was a main focus of its wider 2040 Vision, which encourages walking, cycling and public transportation as part of a broader urban mandate for the future. 

Undoing five decades of developer-driven planning that designed a subdivision template based on road networks that feed residents from their homes to isolated commercial zones surrounded by large parking lots, and cavernous highway routes that serve as commuter corridors, is no small task.

Suddenly transitioning from single-occupancy automobiles that serve as the moving pieces of this template to more sustainable modes of transportation requires significant effort by the municipal government. 

Local advocates have been pushing for increased transit coverage, better street design to accommodate buses and more investments in technology that make trip planning convenient. Connected walking paths and designated bike lanes along key commuter corridors need commitments from elected officials who won’t cave when drivers complain about increased road congestion.

Parking minimums and zoning to accommodate sprawling lots around commercial centres need to be rethought. Other ways to disincentivize car use, alongside major transit investments to provide convenient alternatives have to be supported by municipal government.   

For example, despite an increase in fines for parking in bike lanes from $35 to $150, enforcement has become complaint-based, leaving many offences unreported. Public opposition to road diets, which reduce automobile lanes to create room for cycling and pedestrians, continue to hinder efforts.

David Laing, author at BikeBrampton, highlighted the significance of one key issue, safety, in an interview with The Pointer, emphasizing how it can dramatically influence people's inclination to move from driving to cycling or walking. He said that aggressive driving and risky conduct, such as speeding, illegal right turns and parking infractions in bike lanes, discourage people from shifting to active transportation.

“It has to be more convenient, and it has to be safer, and that's not just being safer but also perception of safety. So, at the moment, there are still a relatively small number of irresponsible drivers on the road, and they have an outsized impact on people's perception of safety,” Laing said. “And they also see, you know firsthand, aggressive driving, people that you know, drivers that are not obeying either the speed limits or making illegal right hand turns on red lights or driving through red lights. And that happens on a daily basis in the city.”

Fear of injury, he said, or death from irresponsible driving has become a significant barrier to persuading more citizens to embrace walking or biking as a routine way of moving around the rapidly growing city.

“So when you see the crash statistics, the number of both cyclists and pedestrians that are injured or killed, and also perhaps a bigger concern, is that drivers that appear to be under the influence of some substance are then leaving the scene of the crash, you know, and basically leaving cycles or pedestrians to die on the side of the road, and that's happened a few times. So it creates a tremendous amount of fear in people, particularly those that aren't that interested but concerned.”

Lisa Stokes, a long-time resident of Brampton and an active member of BikeBrampton, who typically rides 500 to 1,000 kilometres per year in all seasons, primarily in Brampton, and also travels by bike in many other communities around Ontario, Quebec, New York State and Eastern Europe, highlighted the obstacles faced in Brampton.

“Unfortunately, human nature is to protect the status quo, and many people have trouble envisioning something different from their current car-centric experience,” Stokes wrote in an email.

Existing road infrastructure designed for motor vehicles, does not readily support alternative modes of transportation. 

“Many of our roads are overbuilt with wide lanes. This leads to speeding and aggressive driving, which is one of the most significant complaints from residents to councillors.” 

Stokes pointed to research that has shown restricting lanes can lower traffic speeds.

“Research shows that traffic can be calmed by narrowing the lanes. Adding a mobility network of lanes takes advantage of slowing down the speed while providing safer, more equitable active transportation to other users of the road.” But she is not naive, underscoring that the reduction in road space triggers a reflexive response from drivers who simply do not buy into the philosophy.

Charolais Boulevard mobility lanes, she points out, have actually improved traffic flow. According to City data, average speeds decreased by 9.5 km/h and vehicle travel times decreased by 4 percent with the addition of the lanes. Drivers who speed and weave between lanes, routinely braking, exacerbate traffic congestion, she says. Bike lanes actually promote smoother, more stable traffic flow.

Stokes highlighted the value of outreach and education in changing people's perspectives. She recognizes the challenges City officials face when trying to roll out active transportation initiatives as complaints surface during project execution.

"It is unfortunate that most complaints seem to occur when plans are being implemented rather than when the plan was being developed." 

“The timing of complaints puts Council, staff, and advocates into a reactionary mode, trying to address concerns on the fly. This is both ineffective and expensive for the city. It’s a waste of tax dollars. It is frustrating for all concerned.”

There are obstacles to inclusion for the Active Transportation Master Plan as well. Although the City has implemented measures to enhance accessibility, like the installation of mobility lanes, broader sidewalks and floating bus stops, more work needs to be done to expand the network and ensure that it serves the requirements of all citizens.

"Mobility lanes and multi-use paths make for a much more comfortable ride for those using mobility devices because they do not have cuts every 1.5 (metres), as sidewalks do," Stokes shared. "I interviewed a man using a mobility device who was using the Charolais mobility lane. He expressed that he would like to see the city expand the network."

Laing expressed his concern regarding multi-use paths and trails, which he said are not well-suited for commuters due to their design.

"You've got different types of cyclists that are going to be riding there, eight-year-old children Saturday afternoon, to you know what I would call urban cyclists, or, you know, those commuters that will potentially be riding at 25 miles an hour or 25 kilometres an hour faster; that type of riding, in my estimation, is incompatible with the trail pathway system that we have today."

"The path is too narrow. There are too many flying corners, and there's too much opportunity for there to be interaction between cyclists and pedestrians and other users of the trails."

He also mentioned that blind turns on trails provide risks and force cyclists to reduce their speed quickly, making commuting ineffective.

David Laing, chair of BikeBrampton said that the current road infrastructure of Brampton is not suitable for cyclists.

(BikeBrampton)

"Secondly, it has those blind corners; if they're going to be responsible cyclists, then they should be slowing down considerably. Instead of 20 to 25 kilometres an hour, they should be going no more than probably 10 to 12 kilometres." 

Inadequate pavement quality and irregular maintenance are major concerns. Laing said the surfaces are often cracked or uneven, creating discomfort and inconvenience for cyclists, particularly those who rely on these routes for commuting. Seasonal factors also put potential cyclists off. Poor snow or ice removal, for example, creates potentially dangerous conditions which should be mitigated by proper servicing of bike routes and designated lanes.

Brandon Samuels, a commuter traveling from Toronto to Brampton, raises questions about the safety of Brampton’s bike lanes, stressing the need for clear directional signs. He notes that in the absence of markings showing the intended direction for cyclists, some riders can end up going in opposite directions on the same side, increasing the risk of accidents. To remedy this situation, Samuels recommends installing directional signage and expanding the bike lanes to create additional space for cyclists, promoting safer and more efficient travel along these pathways. He believes that these enhancements would make the infrastructure more user-friendly and lessen confusion among cyclists.

Brandon Samuels told The Pointer that because numerous drivers use bike lanes for parking, rigorous enforcement could annoy local residents.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

He says Brampton’s car culture often leaves the growing number of local cyclists using designated lanes maneuvering around illegally parked vehicles, forced to enter into car lanes which puts people like himself at risk.

Henry Johnson, a counselor at a non-profit organization, raised several concerns regarding Brampton’s Active Transportation Master Plan (ATMP), particularly for commuters and people with disabilities. Navigating wide boulevards and narrow sidewalks in a suburb that was not designed with pedestrians in mind is already a significant challenge, and bike lanes that are not properly managed will increase the hazards for those with mobility issues, he said.

Henry Johnson, a counselor at a non-profit organization, is worried that Brampton’s transportation design puts people with mobility issues at risk.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

Johnson questions if Brampton’s existing infrastructure can accommodate active transportation planning.

Apart from the challenges posed by urban infrastructure historically designed for automobiles and the complex shift toward alternative mobility options, unique barriers impact people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind. 

On October 21, the Doug Ford PC government unveiled its “Reducing Gridlock and Saving You Time Act,” empowering the Ontario government to oversee bike lanes in municipalities throughout the province. Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria presented the legislation, claiming it aims to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance transportation planning efficiency.

The proposed Bill would require municipalities to obtain provincial consent prior to eliminating car lanes to establish designated ones for bikes instead, with the ultimate decision resting with the Transportation Minister. Municipalities will have to report commute times for any bike lanes added in the past five years.

The Act aims to expedite construction projects such as Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and the Green City Skyway Bridge by allowing round-the-clock construction, as well as facilitating property acquisitions and environmental assessments.

This newly proposed legislation has impeded the work of Brampton’s ATMP advisory committee and disrupted the Active Transportation Master Plan, which aligns with the City’s 2040 Vision master plan to create a more dense, urban city. 

The PC Bill overlooks the advantages of bike lanes, including reduced traffic speeds and aggressive driving, on top of emissions reductions which Ford has largely ignored since becoming Premier. 

Disability advocacy groups like the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance have called for more inclusive and accessible infrastructure, as the proposed legislation is expected to significantly influence how bike routes are designed in the future.

In a widely viewed video on his official YouTube channel, David Lepofsky, a well-known disability rights advocate and head of the AODA Alliance, brought attention to a new accessibility hurdle. Lepofsky blasts the City of Toronto in his video for putting a bike path on Eglinton Avenue right on the sidewalk, endangering the safety of those with disabilities. As someone with vision impairment, he clarified that even if someone informed him there was a bike route next to the sidewalk, he would not be able to tell. This design issue puts pedestrians at risk, especially those with impairments.

“This is the first time I have ever encountered this ridiculous sidewalk design,” he says in the video.

In a statement released by the AODA Alliance he says the Ontario government is required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to establish and implement accessibility standards in order to ensure all parts of the province are accessible to the 2.9 million people who have disabilities.

“Over 15 months ago, the Ford government-appointed Independent Review declared that Ontario has an accessibility crisis. We need provincial legislation to ensure that the design of new bike paths doesn’t make that crisis worse," he said.

The Alliance advocates for bike infrastructure but wants cities such as Brampton to think carefully about active transportation, to make sure it works for everyone.

The challenges for advocates in the city might seem daunting but residents like Laing are determined to shift the culture.

Stokes emphasizes that “It is the responsibility of Brampton residents to be engaged in the process to make this a liveable, healthy, safe community." 

Email: [email protected]

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