I'm very concerned about…

I'm very concerned about this plan to override municipal expertise, local decision-making, and local democracy, specifically in the case of bike lanes. Only a small percentage of urban roads in Ontario have bike lanes, and traffic is congested in countless areas where there are no bike lanes. Many factors impact motor vehicle traffic in all urban areas, in particular parking and construction. Yet the province wants to centrally control, limit or remove only bike lanes. On the streets specifically targeted by this proposal (Bloor St., Yonge St., and University Ave.), far more people travel in the bike lanes than park along these streets in the affected areas. Why does the province specifically want to discriminate against and endanger cyclists by removing or restricting their dedicated lanes? Why not centrally control or ban construction or parking which removes a lane of traffic, and which has a far greater overall impact on urban traffic flow throughout the whole province? It is particularly outrageous that a proposal which will disadvantage environmentally friendly modes of transportation includes an exemption from the Environmental Assessment Act for making such changes.

Many cities around the world have shown that cycling can be greatly promoted by providing safe, continuous cycling facilities. Toronto and other Ontario cities were slow to start, and are just at the beginning of this process. The potential advantages are huge, including improved safety, improved health (as people get out of their cars and cycle more), major environmental benefits, supporting local business (as cyclists are far more likely to stop and shop locally than car drivers -- as seen on Bloor St. West in Toronto), and even improved traffic throughput, as a well-used a bike lane can have a MUCH higher capacity than a vehicle lane, even though the bike lane takes up less space.

However, all the above requires a long-term commitment to change and improvement. Cycling facilities have to be provided where they are needed: along major roads, where most of the origins and destinations are. They have to be safe, direct, fast, and continuous, which is often only possible along major roads. For example, secondary roads don't cross most of the rivers, ravines, highways, and railway tracks which crisscross Toronto and other Ontario cities. It takes time and patience for people to become aware of improved cycling facilities, and to feel safe and comfortable to use them more often. "Build it and they will come!"