I am against Bill 60. I live…

I am against Bill 60.

I live close to the east end of Toronto's Danforth Avenue, a street that has bike lanes, street parking and (in the summer) patios. I do own a car and drive, as well as have a bike for cycling, and I use public transit to get to work.

The addition of bike lanes has made the Danforth Avenue better and safer for all road users. For many years, I did cycle to commute on Danforth Avenue (the only main east-west corridor available proximal to fast transit) and it was a very dangerous business as cars came extremely close. At that time as well, when I drove, I felt like I might hit cyclists at any moment.

Bike lanes have improved the experience of safety. It's fantastic to see families and children, as well as hardworking food delivery workers, use these bike lanes every day.

And communities should have the right to decide for themselves where they are needed -- not the province.

This leads me to my next point: I am against Bill 60 because strips cities of local authority and decision-making, even when projects are supported by evidence and local residents. This is anti-democratic.

I'm also concerned that Bill 60 is not evidence based, and not grounded in reality.

Yes, there is traffic congestion in the GTA (and likely other places). I believe that supporting better, safer, faster and more convenient public transit is 1 major factor that will reduce congestion in our area. It still shocks me how little the TTC gets in funding from the province, and how projects like the Eglinton Crosstown -- a partially provincial project -- have been delayed and delayed and delayed again. This type of thing increases the use of rideshares and personal vehicles.

In recent years, we have also had many more heat alerts, forest fires and smoke alerts in Ontario that are driven by climate crises. I'm concerned that Bill 60 undermines climate goals and public health by locking cities into car-dependent street designs.