Hello Environment Registry…

Hello Environment Registry of Ontario,

Regarding Schedule 5 of Bill 60-I am confused that you're concerned about the environmental implications of traffic congestion, and yet believe that taking control over municipalities regarding bike lanes would help resolve the issue.
As a daily cyclist, I am seeing the increase in bike share programs and witness the hazards of motor vehicles bottlenecking the intersections as they try and weave through traffic during rush hour. Bike lanes do keep roads to a single pathway, but also allow cyclist to skirt the dangers of aggressive motorists.
I am also reminded of the bike courier days during the 90's that created hostile conditions for both cyclists and cars. Today, we have electric scooters for people with mobility issues and others trying to make a living by delivering food, etc. by not allowing local municipalities-who have a better pulse with their community to create further bike lane initiatives, you're discretion could be clouded by making reactionary decisions that aren't grounded in the root of the problem, which is to allow traffic to move at a more expedient manner. Part of what you're proposing here doesn't sound as if there is a real solution in place:

"The proposed legislation applies to municipalities upon Royal Assent with municipalities expected to align new bicycle lane plans with the proposed legislative requirements. At this time, there are no additional regulatory impacts.

As all that is required of municipalities is to align new bicycle lane plans with the legislative requirements, with no further regulatory burdens, compliance costs are not quantifiable at this time."

As someone who will commute home during rush hour by bicycle, it doesn't take an engineer to realize that a 15-16 foot long vehicle with no co-passengers is the real source of road congestion.