I am so disappointed and…

I am so disappointed and frustrated by this Bill. Bike lanes have made my city more accessible for work, school, accessing heath care, restaurants, shopping, exercise, social activity, and everything in between. Municipalities are the best level of government to assess where and when bike lanes should be built without the added layer of bureaucracy and control from the province. In particular, urban areas of Ontario are very different from rural areas, and one single provincial body is not capable of understanding the needs of every municipality. This additional level of regulation is a waste of tax payer resources and will delay necessary projects.

When the bike lanes on Bloor St, University Ave, and Yonge St. opened in Toronto, I started using my bike to commute to weekend brunch with friends, to go to work, to visit my family in mid-town. I felt like opportunities for exercise and exploration opened up to me. I was no longer restricted by fear of being hit by a car, and the limited operating hours of transit and unreliable estimated travel times by car.

I have lived in this city for over 40 years and I have never been so active. If it wasn't for the bike lanes, I would not venture to many parts of the city so easily. These bike lanes make me feel safe enough to navigate our roads which are often dangerously shared with other motorized vehicles. The additional bike lane barriers allow drivers to see that bikes and pedestrians are in the area and to be aware and alert while driving. Bikes also create a safety barrier between pedestrians and cyclists, which when nonexistent, becomes more risky for everyone on a sidewalk.

In many world-class cities around the world, bikes are the standard mode of travel and it is because of bike lanes that they are easily embraced. I urge our government to consider the benefits of bike lanes that it brings to our communities. Whether this is to improve overall accessibility, improve the health of residents living in our neighbourhoods, create a welcoming place for travellers, or even to reduce the gridlock that this bill is meant to improve.

The Ontario government can build our highways and improve gridlock together without restricting bike lanes at the municipal level.
Please recognize the need to build priority bike lanes faster as our province grows in order to get people and goods out of gridlock and save pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and businesses time and money.
Please recognize that accidents and lane closures due to ongoing construction related to delayed transit projects and unmonitored condo construction spilling into roads can worsen traffic congestion and impact the quality of life of Ontarians.
Building Highway 413 can still be achieved ethically without controlling the municipal level.

I firmly oppose the Bill 212 proposal.