I strongly oppose Bill 212…

I strongly oppose Bill 212 and would like to express my serious concerns with the contents of this Act.

1. Though I understand the frustration of drivers, it is well-established that more lanes of traffic do not reduce congestion (see the works of Jane Jacobs and other prominent urban planners). Reduced congestion will only be achieved by promoting other means of transportation (including public transit, cycling and walking) and shifting towards greater decentralization in our urban design. The exorbitant cost to tax payers of removing bicycle lanes (estimated at 48-75 million dollars) could instead be used, for example, to improve our inadequate public transit system. Given that 28% of Torontonians don’t own a car, rising to more than half of those living in the downtown core, why are cars owners being privileged? The Ministry of Transportation is responsible for serving all people of Ontario. In a time when other world class cities such as Paris, London, New York City and Copenhagen are focused on reducing cars, why is Toronto trying to expand car use??

2. Getting places faster should NEVER be prioritized over safety. Bike lanes save lives. This is an uncontested fact. It is SHAMEFUL that this is not by itself a sufficient argument for their value. Yet the proposed bill includes no language that references the safety of road users as a consideration in bike lane approval.

3. The figures about current bike lane use have been widely contested but more importantly, our goal should be to increase bike lane usage. I have seen this happen steadily as bike infrastructure becomes more complete but it is still woefully lacking. The main barrier to bicycling for many people is safety concerns. Given the urgency of the climate crisis and critical need to reduce emissions, our focus should be improving bicycle infrastructure not reducing it.

4. Finally, setting aside all arguments on the value of bicycle lanes or where they should be placed, ultimately this is a municipal decision. There is no possible rationale for the provincial government to be interfering in municipal decisions, made by democratically elected leadership through a lengthy thoughtful process. The question of where bike lanes should be placed is an important one that should consider and balance the needs of all road users. No one is suggesting that all streets should have a bike lane and in some cases, side streets (as part of a complete network) may be the more appropriate choice. I frequently use the Shaw St. bike lane and see no reason why there should be a bicycle lane placed on Ossington St. (a larger nearby street which runs parallel). However, this is a decision that should be made municipally. As a resident of Toronto, I would not begin to speculate about the appropriate role for bike lanes in other parts of the province and I cannot understand why those outside Toronto should have any involvement in these decisions for Toronto. This Bill represents an unprecedented anti-democratic overreach by the provincial government and I urge you not to approve this bill.