Latest news with #bikeLanes
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
SEMCOG grant paves way for Monroe road project
MONROE, MI — The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments recently awarded more than $10.7 million to 10 projects across Southeast Michigan. "SEMCOG's Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) — one of our most impactful programs — enables us to provide direct funding into communities to improve safety for all road users, connect our regional trails and greenways, and improve access to key destinations like schools, parks, and jobs," said Amy O'Leary, executive director of SEMCOG. Monroe was one of the 10 recipients, receiving $861,832 for a 0.8-mile combination of new bike lanes, sidewalks, and shared-lane markings, connecting Monroe Street with Monroe Charter Township. The section of road that the project addresses is the LaPlaisance Road corridor between Bolles Harbor and Jones Avenue. "This section was chosen not only because of its poor road condition, but also because it gave the city an opportunity to fix the challenging intersection at Jones and LaPlaisance," said Patrick Lewis, Monroe's director of engineering and public services. "These improvements helped make the project a strong candidate for federal funding." According to Lewis, completing this stretch of Jones Avenue will connect to the city's existing network of bike and pedestrian paths. It will include bike lanes on the road and five-foot sidewalks on both sides between Monroe Street and LaPlaisance Road. In addition to the grant from SEMCOG, the city will use more than $600,000 in federal funds and more than $1 million in local funds to complete the project. "From the start, the city emphasized the need to fix the complex intersection at Jones, LaPlaisance, and Navarre," Lewis said. "The new design will improve traffic flow, make it easier for trucks to navigate, and naturally slow vehicles to safer speeds. All of this supports the goal of making the area safer and more accessible for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices." The Jones Avenue project is likely to be built in 2026. "Because the project includes changes to the roadway layout, it needs to go through an in-depth review process required for federally funded projects," Lewis said. "That process affects the overall schedule." The project marks the first phase of a long-term effort to connect transportation users in the City of Monroe to Lake Erie at Bolles Harbor. — You can reach Connor Veenstra at cveenstra@ This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe road project offers new lanes for those without cars
National Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Opinion: Chief Justice Richard Wagner forgets that criticizing judges is part of democracy
Article content If legal commentators are permitted to scrutinize the reasoning of judges, then it is entirely legitimate for elected officials to do so, as well. After all, the rule of law mandates that each branch of the state remains within its allocated bounds. Where a court exceeds its proper constitutional role, or is in danger of doing so, then elected officials have a right, and a constitutional duty, to contest these uses of official power. Article content Consider the case that provoked Premier Ford's comments, which involved a court challenge to his government's decision to remove bike lanes in some Toronto neighbourhoods. Whether or not their removal was appropriate, it is hard to conceive of bike lanes as a 'fundamental right' contemplated by the framers of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. At best, the question is one of urban planning: a dispute over transit infrastructure, about which reasonable people can disagree. It is entirely consistent with Canada's constitutional order that these questions of policy should be left to the politically accountable government of Ontario. In discharging its unique constitutional role in our democracy, Queen's Park is entitled to assert its priorities over those of cycling advocates. Article content Unfortunately, none of these considerations prevented Justice Paul Schabas of the Superior Court of Ontario from issuing a preliminary injunction, effectively stopping the government from implementing its priorities. In so doing, Justice Schabas summarily dismissed the elected branches' constitutional function, asserting that 'the government does not have a monopoly on the public interest.' Instead, the learned judge contended, it was for the court to exercise its own judgment as to which public interests the government could and could not pursue. Article content Next, consider the numerous cases in which Canadian courts have struck down mandatory minimum sentences as unconstitutional, or departed significantly from public sentiment in sentencing criminal offenders. In one emblematic case, the Supreme Court of Canada declared a six-month mandatory minimum for child luring to be 'cruel and unusual punishment' contrary to the Charter, claiming that it would 'shock the conscience of an informed public.' More recently, the Provincial Court of British Columbia has been criticized for a decision to impose no jail time upon an offender who possessed what the court characterized as a 'relatively modest' collection of child pornography. In these circumstances, it is entirely unsurprising that officials and informed citizens should raise questions about the intelligent exercise of judicial power. Article content Article content A constitutional democracy that prizes our courts as forums of reason cannot have it both ways. It cannot profess public confidence in the judiciary, while insisting that judicial decisions be shielded from public criticism. Central to judicial responsibility is the task of offering reasoned justifications for one's decisions. Those reasons are an invitation to the public to examine and critically appraise the cogency of a judge's decision-making. Article content There is little reason to think, then, that elected officials are acting inappropriately, much less unconstitutionally, in expressing reasoned disagreement with judicial rulings, or in proposing solutions to perceived problems with those decisions. To the contrary, such criticism is precisely what the rule of law requires, and bearing it with composure is a constitutional duty of the judicial role. Article content
CTV News
15-06-2025
- CTV News
CTV National News: Bike lane debate heats up at Halifax City Hall
As cyclists push for more lanes and drivers voice traffic concerns, tensions rise in Halifax's ongoing bike lane battle. Paul Hollingsworth reports.
CBC
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
What vehicles are allowed in bike lanes? In Toronto, there is no one answer
Toronto needs a single set of rules for bike lanes in the city, a council committee decided on Wednesday. The infrastructure and environment committee passed a motion that directs city staff to report back in the first quarter of 2026 with recommendations to create a "harmonized" set of rules outlining which vehicles can be used in Toronto bike lanes. Coun. Dianne Saxe, who represents Ward 11, University-Rosedale, said she moved the motion because there is confusion about what kind of vehicles can use the bike lanes and what exactly the rules are. Saxe said in some cases, the bike lanes are elevated, while in others, they are painted, and in still others, there are bollards separating them from the road. Some are called cycle tracks and some are not. Vehicles that don't move by pedals should not be allowed in bike lanes, she added. "We need a clear simple straightforward rule, that a nine-year-old can explain, and with that we then have an opportunity to do the kind of education, then followed by enforcement, that has a chance to make a difference," Saxe told the committee. Rules 'extremely confusing to the public,' councillor says In a letter to the committee, Saxe said the city's municipal code has different rules governing which vehicles can use bike lanes in Toronto, depending on whether the lane is called a "cycle track." She said some heavy motorized vehicles, which can be moved without pedalling, are allowed on painted bike lanes but not on cycle tracks. "This distinction is extremely confusing to the public and virtually impossible to enforce. It contributes to the plague of mopeds and other motorized vehicles bombing down bike lanes, which endanger the safety of all other road users. The City should have consistent rules for which vehicles can be used in all bike lanes," Saxe said in the letter. In an interview later, Saxe said there is public anger about the dangers created by the mopeds — "big heavy fast motorized vehicles" with "pretend pedals on them." "They're dangerous to cyclists. They're dangerous to pedestrians. They don't follow the rules of the road. They don't belong there, but because the rules are confusing, the gig workers don't really clearly understand that what they're doing is illegal and dangerous. And that needs to be clear." Coun. Paula Fletcher, who represents Ward 14, Toronto-Danforth, said she supported the motion because new rules would clarify the definition of a motorized vehicle for city purposes. 'Not everything is black and white,' wheelchair user says Resident Oda Al-anizi said city staff should consider allowing a device called front power assist, an attachment for wheelchairs, when they make recommendations. He said it is "becoming a popular category for wheelchair users, for us to get around." Not allowing them in bike lanes would be a challenge for his safety, he said. "My understanding is technically it's not allowed, it's not legal because there's three wheels and not two," Al-anizi said. Al-anizi said later he's looking for "some clarifications, some acknowledgement of different categories like people with mobility issues because not everything is black and white." He said better signage and more repairs made to pot holes would improve road safety. Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, reminded the committee to stay focused on the fact that cars and trucks are the biggest threat to pedestrians and cyclists on Toronto streets. He said there is a difference between frustration and safety. "Definitely agree that a lot of these vehicles can feel very frustrating and lead to a lot of anger on our roads, but unfortunately, at the end of the day, people are being killed on our roads because of collisions with drivers and automobiles," Longfield said.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Bikes lanes coming to Station Street in Saint John
A commonly travelled Saint John street is about to undergo a 'road diet.' The city has announced plans for Station Street and City Road – stretching from Smythe Street to just east of the Stanley Street pedestrian bridge – to be reduced from a four-lane roadway to three to accommodate new bikes lanes. The three lanes of traffic will consist of two through lanes going either way, and a centre turning lane. Designated bike lanes will be present on either side of the road along the curb. 'Combined with the existing sidewalks, this redesign will create a key active transportation corridor in line with MoveSJ , Saint John's Transportation Plan,' the city said in a press release. 'This corridor is part of Saint John's section of the Trans Canada Trail , linking Harbour Passage and the Stanley Street pedestrian bridge, and further connecting the South Central Peninsula to Rockwood Park.' Saint John Bike Lanes A commonly travelled Saint John street is about to undergo a 'road diet.' (Source: City of Saint John) City studies by the Federal Highway Administration show road diets can reduces crashes anywhere from 19 to 47 per cent. Saint John has already undergone 'road diets' on a number of streets, including Metcalf and Somerset Streets, as well as Milledgeville and University Avenue. The city is committed to make 20 per cent of trips within its limits possible by using sustainable transportation methods as part of its Strategic Plan . No timeline was given for when the road transformation will begin. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
