hoisted by their own petard
Apr. 24th, 2025 11:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frandroidAs you might remember, the Province of On-TAH-REE-oh! has been run by Doug Ford, Rob Ford's doppelganger brother for a while, and was re-elected earlier this year for another term.* One of his campaign promises was to rip out a number of bike lanes in Toronto, because clearly gridlock is where the future lies. Doug got elected and then passed his lane-ripping law.
Toronto's main cyclist-advocacy group is challenging the law. They have also requested an injunction against ripping out lanes until the court has rendered its final judgement, which was granted by the court. One of the particular stipulations of the law is that no one can sue the government for damages created by the removal of bike lanes. It was a seemingly smart consequence-shielding of the law, except that the judge ruling on the injunction request found that it worked in the opposite way too.
> The demolition and reconstruction will create its own impacts on traffic - both for cyclists and motor vehicles – and will likely result in considerable disturbance and congestion while that is taking place. Cyclists who continue to use these routes will be at risk of irreparable physical harm for which, as Firestone RSJ pointed out, the government will not provide any compensation in damages: HTA, ss. 195.10-14.
And thus this consequence-shielding stipulation of the law was cited by the judge as a reason to suspend its application, at least temporarily.
*: it's kind of weird because on one hand you feel like Doug Ford became Ontario Premier only because he couldn't become mayor of Toronto, and on the other hand it seems quite clear that if Pierre Poilievre loses the federal election on Monday, Doug would be a contender to become to the Top Con honcho in the country.
Toronto's main cyclist-advocacy group is challenging the law. They have also requested an injunction against ripping out lanes until the court has rendered its final judgement, which was granted by the court. One of the particular stipulations of the law is that no one can sue the government for damages created by the removal of bike lanes. It was a seemingly smart consequence-shielding of the law, except that the judge ruling on the injunction request found that it worked in the opposite way too.
> The demolition and reconstruction will create its own impacts on traffic - both for cyclists and motor vehicles – and will likely result in considerable disturbance and congestion while that is taking place. Cyclists who continue to use these routes will be at risk of irreparable physical harm for which, as Firestone RSJ pointed out, the government will not provide any compensation in damages: HTA, ss. 195.10-14.
And thus this consequence-shielding stipulation of the law was cited by the judge as a reason to suspend its application, at least temporarily.
*: it's kind of weird because on one hand you feel like Doug Ford became Ontario Premier only because he couldn't become mayor of Toronto, and on the other hand it seems quite clear that if Pierre Poilievre loses the federal election on Monday, Doug would be a contender to become to the Top Con honcho in the country.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-25 11:51 am (UTC)I truly hope Poilievre loses his seat and the leadership. DoFo would do less damage federally than provincially.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-26 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-26 11:19 am (UTC)