On Monday, the Ford government approved Third Reading of Bill 60 which – among other things – would ban the conversion of motor vehicle lanes for bike lanes or “any other prescribed purpose”. Given this sad day which will be a major setback for cycling in Toronto, we need to look at how bad this bill really is. For this purpose, I will look at Toronto’s 2025-27 near-term bike plan and other projects which were already approved with a focus on arterial roads.
Earlier this month, The Meadoway noted on their Facebook page that a new stretch had opened from Marcos Boulevard to Midland Avenue, though some people noted the trail had been paved since September. I was also informed by city staff recently that one of the bridges needed to complete the East Don Trail could be done as early as last week, though the November 9 snowstorm likely hindered things. Given these developments, I checked out both projects yesterday during my afternoon off.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is held on the third Sunday in November. Last year’s event drew a large turnout of 200 to 300 people because of Bill 212 and six cyclists killed in Toronto that year. However, this year’s was more subdued with about 40 people even with Bills 56 and 60 prompting further attacks on road safety, though the colder temperatures didn’t help. Since Jun was unable to make it, I covered the event in his absence.
Here we go again, folks! And unfortunately, not in a good way.
When Queen’s Park resumed on October 20, the Ford government introduced two omnibus bills which contains provisions that are hostile to road safety advocates. Bill 56 – Building a More Competitive Economy Act – includes a provision which bans speed cameras and received royal assent on Monday, November 3 after skipping the committee stage. Yesterday, the Ford government announced Bill 60 – Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act – will also skip committee stage after Second Reading and go straight to Third Reading. Talk about an affront to the democratic process!
