Comment
This proposal is horrifying. Limiting bike lanes in cities is:
1. A massive overreach of authority over municipalities, which are far better equipped to decide what’s best for their residents
2. Highly regressive. Sorry, the 60’s are long gone. We need multiple modes of transportation now to accommodate higher density. The single car system is so obviously inefficient and unsustainable ~ there simply isn’t enough room for the roads that would be needed if we still want farmland to feed ourselves. Bike lanes need to be connected, easy to access and plentiful.
3. Costly, as bike lanes are generally cheaper to build and maintain than car infrastructure.
4. Unsafe for everyone, as cars and bikes will not always be appropriately separated, putting cyclists at risk of injury and drivers at risk of hitting them.
5. Environmentally unsound. Need I say it? Bikes use less energy and emit less carbon than any automobile, either ev or ice. We need more bike lanes to encourage their use. Do the teenagers of Ontario need to sue this government for not taking care of the planet?
6. Unhealthy. Active transportation has the potential to improve health outcomes for adopters, saving money for our publicly-funded health system. Like seatbelts in cars - drivers didn’t like that either!
7. Unfriendly. Cities with good cycling infrastructure are more welcoming for visitors. Don’t we want more tourism?
8. An accessibility issue. Young people, old people, and low income people should not be trapped in their neighborhoods, unable to get to work or school because they don’t have/can’t drive a car and they can’t safely get there by bike. Again, watch your liability here.
9. A craven, cynical way to pander to drivers despite all good evidence that bike lanes are better for business, the environment, health, and safety. It’s extremely sort-sighted and does nothing to support cities that are grappling with higher populations, but obviously you think it will buy you votes.
Bike lanes are not the problem affecting productivity. The lack of a robust, comprehensive public transit system in the GTA, across the province and across the country, for that matter, definitely is. Stop picking on cyclists and govern for ALL Ontarians, not just those who want to spend inordinate amounts of their time stuck in traffic.
Submitted October 21, 2024 6:36 PM
Comment on
Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 - Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane.
ERO number
019-9266
Comment ID
101445
Commenting on behalf of
Comment status