Dear Premier Ford, I urge…

Dear Premier Ford,

I urge you to stop Bill 212.

I was heartbroken to hear Alex Amaro’s parents share the loss of their daughter, who was tragically killed while riding her bike on a busy road without bike lanes. Their message was clear: "Bike lanes could have saved our daughter."

The Amaros recounted how Alex was struck by three cars while riding home on Dufferin Street in December 2020, after a quick trip to the mall. Their courage in reliving this tragedy is inspiring, and their story highlights the human cost of inadequate cycling infrastructure.

Premier Ford, they said they appealed to you directly to stop Bill 212—have you responded?

As grieving parents, George and Karen Amaro cannot understand how your government can consider legislation that would remove or block new bike lanes on streets like Bloor, University, and Yonge. George Amaro said, "It’s about safety. Politics should not be involved when it comes to somebody’s life."

Premier Ford, six people riding bikes have been killed on Toronto’s streets in 2024 alone—more than in the previous three years combined. Every death is a family’s unbearable loss, and each new tragedy reopens old wounds for those who have already suffered. As Karen Amaro expressed: "For the rest of our life, having to deal with the grief that we know personally, that all of these families and their friends are going through. And we don’t wish that on anyone. It is horrific."

Premier Ford, please reconsider Bill 212. Our roads should be safe for everyone, not just people driving. Please work with municipalities to implement data-driven solutions that can address both traffic safety and congestion. As George Amaro poignantly stated: "We don’t want just motorists to get home to their families faster, we want everybody to get home to their families... we never had that with our daughter. She never got home to us."

I urge you to tell George and Karen: "I’m stopping Bill 212."

Sincerely,