I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strongest opposition to Schedule 5 of Bill 60, which would prohibit municipalities from reducing a motor vehicle lane to install a new bicycle lane. This proposal is a severe, undemocratic, and dangerous act of provincial overreach founded on false premises.

This bill is a direct assault on municipal authority. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has rightly stated that local governments are "best positioned to balance traffic flow with active transportation, road safety, and community needs." This bill strips cities of their fundamental right to design safe, efficient streets for their own residents, ignoring evidence-based projects and local support.

The government’s justification—that bike lanes cause gridlock—is demonstrably false. Research shows "induced demand" (more car lanes) is the true cause of traffic. As AMO notes, biking is a "key tool for combating congestion" by removing cars from the road. This claim also goes against the advice of your own experts. Court proceedings (Cycle Toronto v. Ontario) confirmed the province's own data shows protected bike lanes reduce collisions and do not cause gridlock.

This bill will make our roads significantly more dangerous. Peer-reviewed studies and data from cities like New York show protected bike lanes reduce injuries for all road users by 40-50%. The Ontario government's own expert report found they can reduce total collisions by up to 50%. By banning this proven infrastructure, the government is deliberately choosing to make our streets less safe.

The claim this will help the climate is baseless. In a climate crisis, it is irresponsible to ban a key solution. Peer-reviewed research is unanimous that active transportation is "pivotal" for reducing emissions. Locking cities into car-dependent design defies all scientific evidence.

As a regular transit and bike user, this bill is a personal and financial insult. Dedicated lanes make my commute safe and reliable, allowing me to support more local businesses—a fact supported by studies on consumer habits. It is insulting to see my tax dollars wasted on a populist, evidence-free "culture war" that ignores the government’s own advice. This is not responsible governance.

Finally, this bill sets a dangerous precedent, threatening other essential uses of our public road space, including vital transit priority lanes, safe pedestrian crossings, and school safety zones.

I urge the government to immediately withdraw Schedule 5 from Bill 60. Stop wasting taxpayer money, respect local democracy, and start working with municipalities to build safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation systems for all Ontarians, not just for cars.

And since I don’t do baseless claims based on feelings, the sources I reference were added as supporting links