I am strongly opposed to…

I am strongly opposed to Bill 212. Bike lanes both help to improve the carbon footprint of our city and province, but also provide necessary safety and access for the millions of people who use them.
Bike lanes should not be a provincial decision but based on the needs and desires of the city. By passing this bill, you are instead prioritizing the bill of a political representative and his friends, and wasting the resources already spent putting these in place.
Cities all over the world have seen how bike lanes help to reduce traffic. While the result is not immediate, the increased safety the bike lanes allow gradually increases the number of people using bikes for transportation, and as a result reduces the number of cars on the road. As such there is less traffic congestion and accidents. Ultimately, the more bike lanes available, the fewer cars on the road, and overall the safer the roads are for Torontonians and its visitors.
With bike lanes increasing demand, this means that the shared city bikes will also be more in demand, and benefit the city as an increasing revenue source. With less cars on the road, there is also a reduction in emissions and noise pollution.
Instead of spending so much taxpayer money on undoing the city’s work, it should instead consider congestion charges and using BikeShare revenue to improve the Gardiner, finish the TTC, expansion projects, and reduce the cost of both the TTC and Metrolinx.
Removing bike lanes is a municipal issue, not a provincial issue. By passing Bill 212 you are taking away safe and vital access across the city, from all Torontonians.