Bill 60 represents a major…

Bill 60 represents a major step backward for transportation planning in Ontario. Prohibiting municipalities from reallocating any motor-vehicle lane for the purpose of building a new bicycle lane removes a basic, well-established tool used by cities around the world to improve safety, reduce collisions, and expand transportation choice.

Evidence from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and numerous international cities consistently shows that protected bike lanes—especially when created through lane reallocation—reduce injuries for all road users, calm traffic, and support local businesses. They also support provincial climate and public-health goals by enabling more short trips to be made without a car.

The language in Bill 60 is overly broad and would likely halt not only planned cycling projects such as Parkside Drive, Dupont Street, and the Danforth extension, but also bus priority lanes, school-street programs, curb-space pilots, patios, and other street improvements that temporarily or permanently repurpose roadway space. Municipalities need flexibility to design safe streets based on local conditions. This bill eliminates that flexibility.

Finally, lane-reallocation is not “anti-driver.” It is a proven congestion-reduction strategy: when safe cycling and transit infrastructure is built, many short car trips shift to other modes, freeing up space for people who must drive.

I strongly urge the province to withdraw this schedule of Bill 60 and allow municipalities to continue using evidence-based approaches to street design and safety.