November 14, 2025 Re…

November 14, 2025

Re. Proposed Bill 60, Schedule 5

To the Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria,

We are writing to you as Ontario Minister of Transportation on behalf of London Cycle Link to express our strong opposition to Schedule 5 of Bill 60, which proposes amendments to the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) that would prohibit municipalities from reducing motor vehicle lanes when installing, implementing, or marking new bicycle lanes.

As an organization committed to helping Londoners ride more—by building skills and confidence, advocating for safe streets and paths, and fostering a thriving cycling culture—we believe these proposed changes undermine the very principles of equity, empowerment, community, sustainability, and joy that guide our work.

Cycling is not a luxury—it is a necessity. It is a low-cost, low-carbon, health-promoting mode of transportation that should be accessible to all. The amendments proposed in Schedule 5 would restrict municipalities from making locally informed decisions that prioritize safety, climate action, and inclusive mobility. They would also centralize authority in ways that limit community-driven planning and responsiveness to local needs.

The proposed changes to the HTA threaten other uses of public road space that communities across the province are increasingly relying on, including transit priority lanes, safe crossings, patios, curbside access space, and school streets. The insistence on maintaining and/or adding lanes for private motor vehicles on public roadways tends to worsen traffic congestion, not reduce it—your government’s own experts have consistently found that bike lanes, for example, are not a cause of gridlock. Induced demand is a phenomenon of car-centrism time and again in cities across Ontario.

We are particularly concerned that:
The prohibition on lane reductions removes a key tool for creating safe, separated cycling infrastructure.
The regulation-making powers granted to you as Minister could further erode municipal autonomy and transparency.
The changes to reimbursement discretion may discourage municipalities from pursuing cycling improvements altogether.

These proposed amendments run counter to Ontario’s stated goals around climate resilience, public health, and active transportation. They also threaten to stall progress in cities like London, where cycling is being embraced as a practical, joyful, and sustainable way to move about. Removing bike lanes, or preventing them from being built, makes roadways more dangerous. Protected bike lanes especially reduce serious injuries and deaths for people biking, walking, and driving, as they help properly silo road users by their modes.

We urge the Government of Ontario to withdraw Schedule 5 from Bill 60. Instead, we invite you and your staff to work collaboratively with municipalities, advocacy groups, and residents to support safer streets and more equitable transportation choices.

London chooses cycling. Let’s ensure our province does too.

Kind regards,

The LCL Board of Directors
Vincent Lubrano III, Sean McWatt, Michael Woodward, Laura Galvis Daza, Julie Ryan, Ganesh Raj, Brian Shilton, Andrew Leest, Alex Tritton and Alex Bast