I think that the legislation…

I think that the legislation for the province to meddle in the affairs of municipalities is an over-reach. Cities should be the ones who make decisions on whether and where a bike lane is appropriate. It seems that there is always extensive public consultation before any such action is taken.

As our populations expand, we need to find more ways for people to get around. For far too long, our society has relied too heavily on cars. On any given day you can look at the cars on the street or on the 401 and see that the vast majority have a single person in the car, the driver. That is a hugely ineffective use of a road’s surface area when compared to the people moved by public transit, bikes, and walking. We need to change the culture to believe in our public transit and other non-automotive options. That’s where we have failed in comparison to other major cities in the world. Canadians like to think of Toronto as a world class city, but the city lacks an extensive transit system when compared to other top cities. One idea is we should make public transit free for students. We need to get our new generation used to taking transit instead of reflexively reaching for car keys.

We have neglected public transit, cycling, and walking as viable options. We need to invest in these other options and not focus on cars. Cars are an ineffective method of relieving traffic. Don’t ignore the data which shows that adding car lanes doesn’t relieve congestion in the long run. It just continues to push the mentality that driving is the only option.