They want to skip the…

They want to skip the environmental assesment and plow through the greenbelt (once again), they want to tear up bikes lanes, they want to make this proposed highway a toll road like the 407 which will ensure that no one uses it, it'll cost each taxpayer roughly an extra $1000 per year while likely only reducing average travel times by 30-60 seconds. Opposition parties and environmental defence estimate that the construction will cost roughly 10 billion. I feel that it is likely Ford will attempt to appropriate the federal contingency funds that he has been hoarding since the pandemic for the highway instead of putting it to use in his rapidly failing healthcare system which was their intended purpose.

This cost to the taxpayers would be ridiculous and frankly unconscionable when there are many cheaper options such as directing logistics/transport trips to the 407 and subsidizing the tolls which would cost ~4 billion per year. If the premier was truly interested in reducing gridlock in a significant way then he would invest in infrastructure that gets people out of cars and off the road, improving our commuter train system by upgrading the fleet to electric engines, expanding the GO train network, subsidizing the TTC to allow them to improve their service quality, and obviously building MORE bike lanes! It would even make more sense to initiate a buy back of the minority stake of the 407 which I believe is something the Ford government has already considered. These options I mentioned have the added benefit of a much sooner possible start time as the construction of hwy 413 wouldn't be complete for at least a decade and we all know those proposal timelines are never accurate.

Outside of that, it is a blatant publicity stunt by Ford to further secure the rural vote and it specifically contradicts his own words where he said in 2017 that "we have to do everything we can to make sure there's never a death in the city. One death is too many when it comes to bicycle riders." If they force the removal of bike lanes in the province traffic deaths will rise undeniably. It is also just another way for him to put money in the pockets of his cronies that were involved with the greenbelt scandal.

I think it's clear how terrible this decision will be if it goes through and how widespread the ramifications are. It will significantly impact the environment and do irreparable harm that we absolutely cannot afford to let happen. When it comes to the environment we are already fighting a losing battle and with the recent US election results and the inevitable damage they will wreak, it only becomes more clear that we cannot afford to give up any ground in this fight.

Ontarians say no to bill 212!