Ontario must stop Bill 60…

Ontario must stop Bill 60 from passing!

I live in Toronto. My 18-month old son LOVES when we ride a bike together. We ride our bike along the waterfront trail and to daycare and I'm excited to show him more of the city. While we try to choose quiet streets or paths, sometimes our route inevitably requires us to take a busy road without a bike lane which adds additional stress for me, even as an experienced rider. I've been riding in the city for over 10 years but I always feel safest on the road when riding in a bike lane.

The cross-city Bloor-Danforth bike lane is a fantastic example of how a city can transform a street by building infrastructure with a safe-streets-for-all mentality. This transformation could not have happened if a bill like Bill 60 existed because it required repurposing a car lane to accommodate the infrastructure needed to make the street safe and work for all modes of transport. This infrastructure benefits not ony people who walk or ride bikes with its decreased travel speeds and safer crossing points but it also benefits drivers because of the clear delineation of space. That's key because people don't just drive on Bloor and Danforth--they stop to visit shops, cafés, parks, medical clinics and more and they need safe spaces to do that.

I remember what it was like to walk, bike, and drive on Bloor-Danforth before the bike lane installation---it was so incredibly dangerous and I've had or seen many close calls. The lanes were very wide which promoted speeding and aggressive driving and was also simply a poor use of space in a city (and province) that cannot afford to waste it. After the installation of the bike lanes, the community witnessed an incredible transformation of the street space which is busier than ever. Bike traffic has increased as people have found a lifeline that takes them across the city, and supporting the decision to bike instead of drive also means less cars on the road. A win-win.

I ride my bike to work the Bloop-Danforth bike lane, a 40 minute ride each way. It's an amazing part of my day. Biking improves my mental and physical health. And this is JUST the effects of the Bloor-Danforth bike lane. I see the same positive effects across the city with the installation of other bike lanes or pedestrian-friendly infrastructure (Richmond-Adelaide, Sherbourne, Davenport, Avenue Road, and more).

As a driver, I appreciate the safety separate bike lanes provide and hope the city and province install more of them. If it makes sense to remove a car lane to do it, then I support that. I cannot fathom why the Ontario government would propose a bill like Bill 60 that would stop municipalities from reducing motor vehicle lanes to build new bike lanes. That is restrictive, backwards thinking that pretends to care about motorists but actually is a plan that hurts everyone. It's time for the Ontario government to make our roads to work for us, for everyone that uses them. I sincerely hope my son can look forward to seeing a fully connected, safe bike lane network, whether he bikes, walks, takes transit, or drives, because the government recognizes that safe streets protect us all.