I’m writing as a Toronto…

I’m writing as a Toronto resident who relies on safe cycling infrastructure every day. Bill 60 (“Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act”) would ban new bike lanes that replace a lane of vehicle traffic, and potentially block other uses of our roads. This effectively prevents municipalities from making practical, evidence-based decisions about how to use public space.

For my partner and me, good cycling infrastructure isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s what lets us leave the car at home, take up less space on the road, avoid parking, reduce our carbon footprint, and stay physically and mentally healthy. It’s also how many people in Toronto get around, especially in denser neighbourhoods.

It’s worrying that this bill could also impact CaféTO and dedicated bus lanes. Outdoor dining is one of the best parts of Toronto summers, and bus lanes are essential because transit moves far more people than single-occupancy vehicles ever can.

We’ve already seen the consequences of provincial interference through Bill 212 (“Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024”). It created red tape that stalled the Sheppard Complete Streets project because the province never defined an approval process for bike lanes that remove a vehicle lane. A year later, the province is now trying to outright ban them—which makes it clear there was never an intention to work toward a reasonable compromise.

In court, the province couldn’t prove that removing bike lanes improves congestion, and it was shown that Bill 212’s bike-lane restrictions would reduce safety. Despite this, the government is doubling down on policies that restrict bike infrastructure. It’s also contradictory for the province to say we need fewer speed cameras and more traffic-calming measures, while simultaneously banning one of the most effective traffic-calming tools we have: protected bike lanes.

Toronto is growing, and we don’t have infinite space to move people. Single-occupancy cars are the least efficient mode of transportation. On many streets, widening the road isn’t possible. In those cases, repurposing an existing lane is the only viable way to build protected bike lanes or bus lanes. It shouldn’t be considered unreasonable to prioritize 50 people on a TTC bus over a handful of drivers sitting alone in their cars.

We also have plenty of streets where the right lane is used for parking, which already makes them functionally one-lane roads. Yet this bill would block cities from reallocating that same space for bike lanes or transit lanes that would serve far more people.

Cycling is already a major part of how Toronto moves. Bike Share Toronto saw 7 million rides in 2024 and is projected to hit 8.1 million this year. Winter ridership is strong as well: according to U of T’s School of Cities, Bike Share recorded over 200,000 trips in January 2024 and over 260,000 in February. Thousands of food couriers also rely on bikes and e-bikes year-round to do their jobs.

We should be investing in modes of transportation that move people efficiently, safely, and sustainably. This bill pushes us in the opposite direction. It encourages car dependency and removes local governments’ ability to design streets that reflect the needs of the communities they serve.

I’m deeply disappointed in this direction, and I hope you reconsider the impacts this legislation will have on Toronto and on cities across Ontario.