I’m appalled by the measures…

I’m appalled by the measures in Bill 60, the so-called “Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act.” This legislation doesn’t fight delays and instead it actively obstructs progress. By banning new bike lanes that remove a lane of vehicular traffic, and potentially blocking other reconfigurations of road space, the province is tying the hands of municipalities and gutting their ability to make smart, locally informed decisions about public infrastructure.

This bill is a threat to average Ontarians just trying to get by through travelling by any other means besides an expensive, smelly, and noisy motor vehicle that emits noxious fumes which pollute municipalities. I and many of my friends use bikes to travel around Toronto just because the traffic is so bad that cycling is faster when travelling acrosss the city. Fewer cycle lanes will make taking a bike more dangerous and result in even worse motor vehicle congestion since the cyclists will be forced to take to the roads.

This bill also directly affects me and my partner. We choose to bike because it’s safer, healthier, and more sustainable, letting us leave the car at home to take up less space on the road, reduces our carbon footprint, and improves our physical and mental well-being. Bill 60 is punishing people like us just for making responsible choices.

And it doesn’t stop at bike lanes. Giving the province the power to ban CafeTO installations and bus lanes is outrageous. I enjoy outdoor dining in the summer, and I rely on transit. Bus lanes are essential because they move people far more efficiently than single-occupancy vehicles. Why is the province prioritizing car throughput over public benefit?

This isn’t new. Bill 212 already created a bureaucratic nightmare that stalled the Sheppard Complete Streets project. The province never even bothered to set up an approval process for bike lanes that remove car lanes. Now, instead of fixing that mess, they’re doubling down and banning them outright. That tells me there was never any intention to engage in good faith or find compromise.

Let’s be clear: the courts have already shown that removing bike lanes doesn’t reduce congestion and it reduces safety. The province has no data to back up its claims, yet it’s charging ahead anyway. It’s hypocritical to say we need traffic calming measures while simultaneously banning bike lanes because they “slow down cars.” That’s not policy: it’s political theatre.

Toronto is growing. We have limited space to move people, and single-occupancy cars are the least efficient way to do it. In many areas, we physically cannot widen roads. That’s why we need to reallocate space to build protected bike lanes and dedicated transit lanes that actually serve the public. It’s absurd that a TTC bus carrying 50 people should be stuck behind a line of idling cars, each with only one person inside.

And let’s talk about those “vehicular lanes” the province is so desperate to protect. In reality, many of them are just parking lanes. Two-lane streets often function as one-lane roads because of parked cars. But if we try to reimagine that space for transit or cycling, this bill slams the door shut.

Cycling isn’t fringe at all in Toronto. Bike Share Toronto logged 7 million rides in 2024 and is on track for over 8 million this year. People bike year-round, even in winter. According to data from Bike Share analyzed by the University of Toronto School of Cities, in January 2024, there were 204 121 bike share trips, and in February 2024 there were 260 981 bike share trips. I also biked in winter when I lived downtown, and I know that the hundreds of cycling couriers delivering food to people also bike year round to do their jobs.

We should be investing in transportation modes that move people efficiently, reduce emissions, and improve quality of life. Instead, this government is bending the knee to car-brained motorist culture, inculcating car dependency, and stripping municipalities of the right to shape their own streets. I’m angry and I’m disappointed. I urge you to reconsider this reckless, short-sighted legislation.