As president of a senior…

As president of a senior cycling club in Waterloo Region with 225 members and a wait list capped at 50, I wish to register our disappointment with the Ford's governments continued focus on reducing and restricting bike lanes, specifically in the current Bill 60. Studies have shown that bike lanes do not cause congestion and the best way to keep traffic moving is to get more vehicle off the road. This is why sustainable means of transportation should be encouraged and supported. The cycling infrastructure in Waterloo Region has greatly improved over the last several years and our members feel safer on the roads where bike lanes are available. Cycling not only improves physical health, but mental health as well. Stop stripping communities and local governments of their power and making decisions without their input or wealth of knowledge. Cities and towns that use local knowledge and community input, logically have the best insight into how to balance traffic flow with active transportation, road safety, and community needs. Cycling is demonstrated means of combating congestion; ‘bike lanes are an essential element of multi-modal planning that removes cars from the road for short trips and transit connections, thus alleviating congestion, not causing it’.