Even more bike lanes could be scrapped for additional car traffic on Brampton street

Yet another stretch of bike lanes in Brampton are being considered for removal, with a survey finding over 80 per cent of area residents want them gone.

The proposal looks to “immediately” convert bike lanes on Charolais Boulevard between James Potter Road and Hodgson Street “back to (four) traffic lanes.”

The motion will go to Brampton City Council on Wednesday, and is being put forward by Wards 3 and 4 Councillors Dennis Keenan and Martin Medeiros.

If approved, the Charolais Boulevard bike lanes will be the latest of several protected bike corridors scrapped in Brampton in favour of vehicle traffic and parking under Ontario’s Bill 60.

A survey of area residents found 83 per cent of respondents “are not in favour of bike lanes on Charolais,” while 53 per cent said they use the road daily.

The motion says residents’ biggest concerns include traffic congestion and the lack of usage of the bike lanes.

Locals are also concerned that a new 800-unit redevelopment near Shoppers World “will lead to a sharp increase in population,” with Keenan and Medeiros saying drivers are already experiencing heavy delays and backed up traffic on Charolais since the addition of bike lanes.

The motion says “there are alternate routes that can be considered to provide east-west connectivity” under the city’s Active Transportation Master Plan, and that, should the bike lanes be removed, staff will report back “on an alternate bike route that maintains connectivity of trail systems and biking infrastructure already in place.”

The Charolais Boulevard bike lanes were a hot-button issue for area residents in 2021, and Medeiros said at the time that residents were “stuck in traffic on these one-lane roads” and dealing with “more traffic congestion and more pollution because of increased idling.”

Bike lanes have been a sticking point for Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and the province’s Bill 60 introduced rules barring municipalities from removing vehicle lanes to install new bike lanes.

A proposal from Wards 2 and 6 Coun. Navjit Kaur Brar last month looks to scrap the dedicated bike lane on the south side of Clockwork Drive between Brisdale Drive and Thornbush Boulevard to allow for more vehicle parking while still maintaining “east–west active transportation connectivity.”

Converting the bike lane into an urban shoulder on Clockwork Drive would cost $740, according to the report.

And a push to remove protected bike lanes on Howden Boulevard was led by Ward 7 Coun. Rod Power, who for months urged council colleagues to get rid of the cycle track between Dixie Road and Williams Parkway.

Funds of $337,000 were earmarked for the Howden bike lane removal, and another $393,000 will be used for future bike lane “relocation projects” and the Howden multi-use path.