This proposal is intended to…

This proposal is intended to reduce gridlock by making more lanes available to drivers. However, the available evidence tells us that increasing or decreasing the number of lanes on a road does not have any long-term impact on traffic. This is because the number of drivers on the road is in equilibrium with the cost to drivers of being stuck in traffic. Increasing the number of lanes temporarily reduces traffic, which shifts this equilibrium in a way that induces drivers to drive more.

Furthermore, removing bike lanes and replacing them with vehicle lanes will only make traffic problems worse. Bikers are (legally) entitled to use an entire vehicle lane when riding on the shoulder would compromise safety. In urban areas (where bike lanes are found), riding at the extreme right of the road would almost always compromise safety. This means that this proposal will likely lead to bikers riding in the same lanes as cars, which is both dangerous for the bikers and causes delays for the drivers.

The evidence shows that this proposal will only make the problem of gridlock worse. Resources spent removing these bike lanes would be better spent maintaining infrastructure and making alternatives to driving more attractive so roads are saved for people who need them.