To whom this may concern: I…

To whom this may concern:
I'm writing to STRONGLY oppose Bill 212. Here are my key points:
- This bill is inequitable and will exacerbate existing municipal issues. Our Ontario cities are facing challenges and crises related to climate adaptation, congestion, growth, cost of living, and health and wellbeing. Providing safe, affordable, active, and climate-friendly alternatives to private, single-occupancy vehicles (i.e. biking infrastructure) is the only solution for these crises. Everyone should be a priority, not just drivers.
- This bill will make road conditions unsafe for all users and lead to more preventable fatalities. By removing bike lanes and imposing restrictions on the creation of new bike lanes, the Province is not considering the safety of all road users. I am a cyclist, driver, pedestrian and transit user. With all of these identities, I always feel much safer on roads where each user has their own place. This is also best practice in every single road safety guideline in North America. Getting rid of bike lanes doesn't get rid of bikes. Instead, when bike lanes do not exist, people cycling are forced into dangerous, life-threatening road conditions where they have to compete for space with vehicles who have greater weight, size and protection. In fact, 6 people cycling this year alone have lost their lives in the City of Toronto. These deaths were preventable and are unacceptable. Deaths and serious injuries will only increase should this bill be passed.
- Spend money elsewhere to alleviate congestion issues. Should this bill pass, the province will incur costs related to the new division that will need to approve new bike lanes in municipalities as well as the removal of existing bike lanes in the City of Toronto. For a bill aimed at reducing congestion, there are far better uses of public taxpayers dollars than these expenditures. For instance, the government should deliver and invest in other alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles, including regional and local transit.
- Grant self-determination to municipalities. Many of these bike lanes proposed to be removed have been through several rounds of municipal approval processes. They have therefore gone through adequate checks to ensure that local communities are represented in the decision making process, that the designs are appropriate for the roadways and that overall due-process has been followed. Future bikeways should continue this same process. Allow municipalities to make local decisions themselves; this is not a provincial issue. The province should focus on higher-order transit initiatives as mentioned above.

Thank you for taking the time to read and process my comment and opposing position. I look forward to this bill being completely amended or struck down.