Schedule 5 of Bill 60…

Schedule 5 of Bill 60 proposed amendment to prohibit lane reductions for the creation or expansion of bike lanes eliminates municipalities, their stakeholders, and their advisors from implementing policy targeting mobility improvement in their communities. This is a sweeping amendment that impedes municipalities from using technical analysis related to transportation planning to formulate design of efficient transportation networks. The amendment lacks discretion, and discretion is precisely what municipalities need when planning their transportation networks.
The amendment also removes municipalities ability to improve on and promote safer streets for their residents. This amendment makes Ontario less safe and more dangerous.
Finally, the amendments insinuate that Environmental improvements are an intended outcome however the amendment ignores the intent of bike lanes which are to offer safe alternative transportation modes for road users. These sweeping amendments ignore research and data available on transportation planning and mobility, and will do nothing but limit and remove decision making power from municipal planning and roadway departments, their council, and constituents. The government should be doing the opposite, and offer municipalities more opportunity to improve and manage their communities to better the province of Ontario. The government should cancel the proposed amendments.