Toronto - Bike lanes deserve better than to be exploited as a cynical election issue

In an odd twist, bike lanes are becoming one of the hottest issues in the Toronto election campaign.

When a proposal to put a lane down University Avenue surfaced this week, Councillor Rob Ford predicted a “traffic nightmare.” Former deputy premier George Smitherman called for a time out on bike lanes. Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said that if (saints preserve us) he became mayor, removing new bike lanes would be the first thing he would do. Only left-leaning Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone seems favourably disposed. But the topper came from Rocco Rossi, the former Liberal organizer, who called it “sheer madness” to take two lanes of University away from cars.