Comment
I am writing to express my disapproval of bill 212.
Bill 212 fast-tracks Highway 413 by overriding local bylaws and environmental regulations and limiting public resistance. However, research shows that building new highways doesn't reduce congestion in the long term.
Exempting Highway 413 from full environmental assessments is a major concern. This highway would cross prime farmland, wetlands, and wildlife corridors in Ontario’s Greenbelt, creating long-term damage. Limiting transparency by withholding environmental impact information further undermines trust in this process. The province should not force this project through by keeping the public in the dark.
Schedule 4: Highway Traffic Act unnecessarily restricts municipalities (namely Toronto) from building new bike lanes, favouring cars over sustainable transportation alternatives. It’s based on the misguided notion that bike lanes cause congestion, despite evidence showing the opposite. By making it harder to install new lanes, the bill limits efforts to reduce emissions and promote safer, greener cities. Local governments should have the freedom to improve transportation infrastructure without bureaucratic hurdles and provincial interference.
Submitted October 23, 2024 7:52 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
103604
Commenting on behalf of
Comment status