Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria says the provincial government is introducing legislation that would require municipalities to receive provincial approval before removing traffic lanes to install new bike paths.

TORONTO — Ontario cities would have to seek the province’s permission to install new bike lanes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic under upcoming legislation, the transportation minister announced Tuesday.

Some observers are pushing back on the idea that bike lanes cause traffic congestion as the Ontario government embarks on a potential shakeup for how future bikeways get the green light.Last week, the Ontario government announced it's seeking to pass legislation that would require municipalities to get provincial approval for new bike lanes that would take space away from vehicles.

The government, which has made gridlock a priority, intends to introduce legislation next week to change the process for installing bike lanes across the province

Any future bike lanes coming to Ontario towns and cities could soon need provincial approval thanks to new rules proposed by Brampton MP and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

Ontario has tabled its first bill as a new legislative sitting gets underway, which would give the province the power to stop cities from constructing some new bike lanes.