Ontario’s new restrictions on bike lanes are affecting 27 Ottawa transportation projects, though city staff say most can still go ahead with design changes.
In a memo to council Monday, city staff said Bill 60 will have a “relatively modest impact” on Ottawa’s overall cycling plans. The controversial new provincial law prevents municipalities from removing a lane of traffic to build a bike lane.
According to the city, 85 of the 124 cycling projects in the city’s Transportation Master Plan will not be impacted.
The city identified 27 projects already in development that are affected by the new rules.
They include 13 cycling retrofit projects, five road renewal projects, seven major road and transit projects, one road safety project and one neighbourhood traffic-calming project.
Twenty of the 27 projects will move forward with only “minor” design changes. Staff said they are still looking at the remaining seven, where the legislation is expected to have a more significant impact.
The restrictions do not apply to full-time parking lanes, according to city staff. The city also noted that traffic lanes can still be removed for other purposes, including pedestrian improvements, transit or safety measures.
The city expects to report back to committee and council in early 2027, ahead of the 2027 budget.
