I'm writing to express…

I'm writing to express concern about the bill's clause to "enable provincial approval authority for the installation of new bike lanes on municipal roads, where the removal of a vehicle lane is required". Municipalities are by far the best judges of how their roads are used. Requiring provincial approval for new bike lanes adds needless new red tape for municipalities trying to improve their roads and traffic flows. Studies in both Canadian (https://www-tandfonline-com/doi/full/10.1080/15568318.2014.890767) and international (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63280-8_42) contexts show that dedicated bicycle lanes do not substantially contribute to traffic congestion but, rather to the contrary, often decrease traffic congestion. As the province continues to deal with traffic issues, it needs to adopt a data-driven, forward-thinking approach rather than making political plays and using outdated approaches that have consistently failed to improve the lives of taxpayers.