As a resident of Toronto, I…

As a resident of Toronto, I strongly oppose the proposed amendment under Bill 60 (ERO 025-1071) that would prohibit municipalities from reducing motor-vehicle lanes when installing new bicycle lanes. I believe that safe, well-designed bike infrastructure is vital for our city’s future—environmentally, economically, socially and health-wise—and I respectfully urge the province to reconsider.

Why maintaining and expanding bike lanes matters
1. Safety and comfort
Studies show that in Toronto, people feel much safer on major roads when there are dedicated bike lanes or cycle-tracks. For example, a City of Toronto survey found that residents were twice as likely to say they felt “comfortable or somewhat comfortable” riding on streets with bike lanes than without.
Reducing the ability to install these lanes could mean fewer safe options for cyclists—and consequently fewer people willing to choose cycling.
2. Health and environment
Bicycle infrastructure supports active transportation. More people on bikes means fewer car trips, lower emissions, better air quality, and less pressure on our public health systems. With Ontario and Toronto facing climate, congestion and public-health challenges, bike lanes are a cost-effective part of the solution.
3. Economic benefit
Research on Toronto’s own streets shows that bike lanes don’t harm local business—they can help them. On Bloor Street, merchants reported increased customer counts and spending after bike-lane installations. 
Restricting municipalities from repurposing road space makes it harder to create this kind of positive local impact.
4. Equity and choice
Cycling is one of the most affordable, accessible modes of transit. Not everyone can afford a car, and many rely on transit, e-bikes or regular bikes. By limiting municipalities’ ability to build bike lanes, the proposed amendment risks favouring car-owners over others, undermining mobility equity in our city.
5. Congestion and traffic flow
Contrary to concerns that “taking away vehicle lanes will increase gridlock,” emerging evidence suggests that well-designed bike lanes can help reduce vehicle demand by shifting some trips to bikes. For example, a University of Toronto research team found that major protected bike lanes were consistently beneficial across neighbourhoods—even for people not immediately near the lanes.
By preventing lane-reductions for cars, the proposal may lock in a car-centric status quo and reduce municipal flexibility to evolve our street network.

I urge the Ministry to allow municipalities the flexibility to allocate road space for bike infrastructure when appropriate. Blanket prohibitions on reducing vehicle lanes limit local decision-making, hinder progress toward safer and more sustainable streets, and carry long-term risks for health, environment and equity.