Bill 212 is simply not going…

Bill 212 is simply not going to improve traffic flow. Especially not in the downtown core of the City of Toronto. The beliefs that support it are also inaccurate and do not reflect the reality of urban traffic flow. I have outlined my reasoning with evidence to support it below. Bill 212 will be an expensive mistake that will likely make traffic WORSE and endanger more lives.

First, many of the lanes proposed to be taken out that "remove an existing lane of traffic" did not remove a functionally usable traffic lane, as these lanes were being used for street-side parking.
Street-side parking is shown by the Transportation Research Institute to substantially increase traffic congestion. Bike lanes, instead improve traffic flow by reducing the total number of vehicles on the road, and in many cases, don't even reduce the amount of street side parking spaces.
Second, the addition of this lane for car traffic would not improve congestion. Fundamental studies show that providing more lanes and roads does not improve traffic flow as it creates an increase in the amount of drivers.
Both of these studies have been provided as links.
This shows that the addition of a single urban driving lane by removing bike lanes will not improve congestion, and the 413 will likely not improve congestion either.

Further case studies linked also show that the removal of Urban Highways improves the quality of life for citizens, as evidenced in Seoul - a city with a population over triple that of Toronto - successfully removed an urban highway and saw:
- Improved travel times in the city
- Revitalized local business
- Reductions in city overheating
- Recovery of the local ecosystem

Creating more roads for traffic will increase the amount of drivers. Not only will this not improve traffic conditions, it will likely worsen traffic and result in more traffic related death as vehicles trend larger year over year.
Evidence reported by the CBC that is also linked here show that vehicles are getting larger every year, with smaller cars being phased out of production. Every year, as a result, the same amount of drivers take up more space on the road than previously. Traffic would be getting worse as a result, even if bike lanes had not been built. Replacing them with more drivers will only make the problem worse.

The IIHS-HLDI research linked also shows that the increase in vehicle size is creating a greater risk to pedestrians. Increasing vehicle sizes and front-end heights results in more collisions that are more likely to result in death for both drivers and non-drivers. These vehicles also create greater emissions leading Ontario to fall behind its goals in addressing fossil fuel consumption and climate change.

Unless the province is willing to regulate and reduce vehicle size, it will need to reduce the total amount of vehicles on the road for the safety and well-being of its people. Bill 212 will endanger more lives and create more pollution.

Bill 212 will result in more drivers on the road during a crucial point in time where the number of vehicles must be reduced. The City of Toronto's municipal government is more equipped to understand the needs of its people than the Provincial Government who would do well to not spend public money on making traffic worse.