This legislation does little…

This legislation does little to help the sustainable, environmentally sound development of urban communities because it emphasizes only one mode of transit in urban areas, the private vehicle. While all studies indicate that mixed modes of transit are necessary for the healthy functioning and development of cities this legislation abandons gains made in the realm of urban cycling and mass public transit. The removal of bike lanes that are already established in cities is costly and dangerous to cyclists and municipalities. Moreover it is legislative overreach. Why should urban taxpayers be beholden to some bureaucrat from the province? Cities plan for their citizens, their residents and their businesses. Why should they be forced to plan and pay for the needs of people outside their jurisdiction? Additionally the legislation works against the government’s goal of increasing density along major roads in cities because it doesn’t allow for pleasant and safe pedestrian walking - sidewalks that are safe, clean and quiet enough to walk on and that actually lead to the services in the area, also on these streets. Who will move their families beside a four lane street with cars whizzing by at 80 Kpm? Would you want your children to play and cycle on such streets? Would you consider strolling to work on such a loud dangerous street? The way to reduce congestion in cities is to reduce the number of cars on the road. Yet this legislation does nothing to limit cars in urban areas, something that is key to creating a modern sustainable higher density urban environment. To reduce cars in the city you need to recognize, study and set capacity limits/estimates on how many cars you will allow into the city. The suburbs can’t develop endlessly with the expectation that every single person living in them has the god given right to enter the city at will without any cost or penalty. The government must start to estimate how many cars are too many in the city. To limit capacity of vehicles entering into the city legislation should include congestion fees, higher parking rates, fees for oversized vehicles, prohibition of parking on main streets directly in front of businesses, fees on overly wide vehicles, and fees for vehicles that contain only a single driver. Cyclists will still use the main streets and without providing them with safe bike lanes most likely they will use the centre of the street because they will not want to win the door prize from parked cars. How does this create traffic flow? Instead of increasing traffic flow this legislation will have the opposite effect. It will be dangerous and slow down traffic as cyclists will not vanish into thin air.