This latest stunt by the…

This latest stunt by the Ontario Government to tear out bike lanes on Toronto’s key streets is the epitome of tone-deaf, backwards policy-making, pandering to car-centric lobbyists at the expense of urban livability. Let’s be clear: dismantling bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge, and University isn’t just short-sighted—it’s a betrayal of anyone who dares to envision a city that values safety, sustainability, and basic public health. The Ontario Government is single-handedly clinging to an outdated, pollutive model that has already turned our streets into gridlocked parking lots, all while insulting residents with the feeble claim of “fighting gridlock.”

Who exactly do they think they’re fooling? Cars cause the gridlock, not bikes. This mind-boggling attempt to rewind Toronto’s progress isn’t just clueless; it’s a deliberate and hostile gesture towards anyone advocating for cleaner air, safer streets, and viable mobility options. By gutting bike lanes, the Ontario Government is choosing to lock Toronto into a dystopian, car-choked future where pollution spikes, accidents rise, and quality of life takes a nosedive—all while pretending it’s doing everyone a favor.

And the hypocrisy is staggering. How dare the Ontario Government claim to “consider environmental implications” while exempting itself from environmental assessments? This greenwashing is an insult to anyone with even a basic understanding of environmental responsibility. Let’s call this what it is: a grotesque farce designed to placate developers and car manufacturers, no matter the cost to public health, safety, or the environment. Only a government profoundly out of touch with the realities of urban life would ever dream of selling this as a forward-thinking measure.

But perhaps most infuriating is the authoritarian overreach here. Forcing Toronto, a city that understands its own streets and residents better than any Queen’s Park official ever could, to beg for permission just to maintain basic bike infrastructure is condescending and undemocratic. This isn’t about “public consultation” or “gridlock solutions”—it’s a blatant power grab, an act of bureaucratic bullying aimed at stripping Toronto of its autonomy. It’s provincial paternalism at its worst, and the Ontario Government’s contempt for local decision-making is on full display. They are not protecting public interests—they are enforcing a regressive car-first agenda that no progressive city would ever entertain.

This is more than just a policy blunder; it’s a full-frontal assault on Toronto’s ability to shape its own future. By undermining bike lanes, the Ontario Government is smothering the city’s progress, robbing residents of their right to a safer, cleaner, and more accessible environment. This is a stark message to every Toronto resident that, as far as Ontario is concerned, they don’t matter.

If the Ontario Government thinks it can bulldoze over Toronto’s aspirations without a fight, it’s in for a rude awakening. Toronto’s residents have no intention of sitting idly by while their city is shackled by an outmoded, car-obsessed vision imposed by a provincial government that couldn’t be further removed from the needs of urban life. This is a fight not just for bike lanes, but for the very future of the city itself.