This proposed Bill is…

This proposed Bill is problematic for a number of reasons:
- adding bikelanes reduces gridlock by allowing more people to bike safely, rather than drive
- increasing space for cars leads to induced demand, which will lead to continued gridlock. There appears to be quite a bit of research that concludes that expanding car lanes does not address gridlock. As such, the implied assumptions about bikelane policies in this bill are inconsistent with peer reviewed research. See linked studies regarding induced demand and impacts on traffic.
- induced demand also works the other way - the more bikelanes that are constructed, the more people will use them, especially if networks are connected. See link included for peer reviewed research
- infrastructure already prioritizes cars, expanded bike lane networks will improve mobility in urban and suburban areas, especially if those bikelanes are maintained in the winter
- bike lanes are municipal jurisdiction
- this bill adds red tape and creates unnecessary and duplicative bureaucracy to approve new bike lane infrastructure.
- many people cannot afford cars or secondary cars in their household and bikelane infrastructure helps with more affordable transit options.
- increasing active mobility can be beneficial to promote healthy livelihoods and save costs. See linked peer review study on bikelane impacts on obesity, and another study that concludes that bike lanes address multiple public health problems. In particular, investments in bike lanes are more cost-effective than the majority of preventive approaches used today..

Personal Anectdote: My family owns one vehicle. My wife uses this vehicle to get to work and drive our daughter to daycare. I bike to work throughout the year, including winter months. Separated bikelanes make this possible, faster, safer, and more enjoyable. If bikelanes were removed, my commute would be significantly longer, more dangerous, and would force me to consider other transportation alternatives. Public transportation is underfunded, unreliable, and takes 3x longer to get to work than biking, even in the winter. The alternative would be buying a vehicle and contributing to existing gridlock during my commute. I also prioritize biking for other reasons, including reducing my carbon footprint, and staying active.