I am 59 years old and I…

I am 59 years old and I depend entirely on my bike to live my life in the city. I don’t own a car. I use my bike for everything — getting groceries, going to the doctor and dentist, visiting friends, and all my social activities. My bicycle is my freedom, my transportation, and my connection to my community.

But that freedom only exists when I can travel safely. Whenever there’s a stretch of my route without a bike lane, I’m forced to take a huge risk. Drivers speed by much too close, and it’s frightening. We all know what happens when things go wrong — those ghost bikes we see around the city are heartbreaking reminders of lives lost. Thanks to protected bike lanes, those tragedies have been reduced.

As I get older, I will rely more and more on the safety of bike lanes to continue living an active, independent life. Bill 60 would make that harder, and more dangerous.

This bill removes local authority and gives the Province power to ban projects that make streets safer — not just bike lanes, but also bus lanes, patios, and safer crossings. It ignores evidence and the needs of the people who actually live, work, and travel in these communities.

Protected bike lanes don’t cause gridlock. The government’s own experts have said this. What they do is save lives, support public health, reduce pollution, and make our cities more livable and equitable. The evidence shows that when people feel safer, they ride more and reduces cars on the road, which reduces traffic and gridlock.

Please do not pass Bill 60. Let cities make evidence-based decisions about how to design their streets safely for everyone — people driving, walking, cycling, or taking transit.