I would like to express my…

I would like to express my opposition to Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act. This bill would strip cities and towns of the ability to make locally informed decisions about how their streets are designed and used. Communities across Ontario differ enormously and this bill limits their ability to design streets that work best in their context. Urban, suburban, and rural areas have very different transportation needs. It is inappropriate and counterproductive for the Province to impose a single set of rules that prevents municipalities from reallocating road space to serve their residents’ needs.

I live in Toronto and get around primarily by bike. I don’t own a car, and safe cycling infrastructure is what makes that possible. When people like me can travel safely without driving, it reduces traffic congestion for those who do need to drive. Blocking new cycling projects or removing existing ones will only make our transportation system less efficient for everyone.

On my street, I regularly see families biking together, often parents with children in cargo bikes or riding alongside them. They deserve safe routes to schools, parks, and local destinations. Infrastructure that protects people biking and walking prevents injuries and deaths, supports healthy communities, and improves the quality of life for everyone.

Bill 60 would undermine these local goals by removing decision-making power from the very communities most affected by these policies. Street design should be guided by local expertise, data, and community consultation, not by one-size-fits-all provincial mandates. I urge the government to abandon the street design provisions in this bill and maintain municipalities’ ability to plan and build safe, efficient, and equitable transportation networks according to their unique needs.