This is one of the worst…

This is one of the worst pieces of legislation I've ever seen proposed. It reeks of a personal vendetta by the Premier against the City of Toronto, to shape the city according to his personal grudges regardless of who it hurts in the process. Ford and his ministers are more concerned with saving motorists a few seconds in their commutes (with dubious evidence to prove that will even happen) than with cyclists' lives and safety. It is not backed up by credible data either - Minister Sarkaria's claims of "1.2%" cycling mode share are gross misrepresentations in neighbourhoods with good cycling infrastructure.

This legislation will lead to deaths and permanently disabling injuries. The bike lanes in Toronto explicitly named for removal (Yonge, Bloor, University) allow me and thousands of others to move around the city safely, and to remove them without so much as a traffic study is an insult to our intelligence. It goes against the positions of most affected local BIAs that bike lanes are a net benefit to our communities. It also goes against the position of emergency services, which report improved response times thanks to the named bike lanes.

It is incredibly micromanaging and condescending of this provincial government to meddle in municipal affairs at this level. We are facing mounting parallel crises in housing costs, education, healthcare (including mental health), and public transit infrastructure, all of which this government is fumbling monumentally. Meanwhile, the fact that this government would rather spend its time fiddling with lines on the pavement in the City of Toronto rather than addressing these serious emergencies is truly disgusting.

It's obvious that Doug Ford just can't stand that the residents of Toronto rejected his bid for mayor in 2014 (FOUR mayoral elections ago) and only engaged in provincial politics so that he could impose dominance over Toronto, while doing nothing for the province. He is so obsessed with local minutiae in this city while neglecting serious province-wide needs - I bet he couldn't even point to Timmins or Kenora on a map.

Even if these bike lanes are removed by this legislation, eventually they will be reinstalled. We will prevail. Progress cannot be blocked forever. And Doug Ford's only enduring legacy will be one of wasted money, wasted time, and wasted lives of all the cyclists who will be killed or gravely injured by his petty politics.