I acknowledge and respect…

I acknowledge and respect that municipalities are creatures of the province. However, I have significant concern regarding the proposal for the province to have the authority to approve the implementation of a bike lane, if it removes a lane of vehicle traffic. My concerns are:
1) First and foremost, it with only continue to promote private automobiles as the primary mode of travel, instead of encouraging modal shift to more sustainable travel options. Many global cities highly regarded with good planning principles, such as Amsterdam or Copenhagen, have successfully integrated all modes of travel into their transportation networks.
2) The prompt provided on the province's website - "Prescribed municipalities would be required to seek provincial approval to allow for the implementation of new bicycle lanes (“bike lanes”) that require the removal of an existing lane of traffic. Approval will be based on a set of specified criteria, to be set out in guidance and/or regulation." - Does not identify what a "prescribed municipality" is nor does it define the "specified criteria". This is critical information to understand the context of the proposal.
3) Municipalities know their local context the best - requiring provincial input on bike lanes will significant slow down timescale for streetscape improvements, and may miss consideration for the local community wants and needs. For a province as wide and diverse as Ontario, we need to consider that needs vary greatly across urban and rural areas.
4) Streetscape projects, which may include the addition of cycling infrastructure, are commonly completed in relation to other roadway improvement projects. This requires a holistic perspective of the overall road corridor improvements, and should not review the approval of bike lanes in a silo.
5) Lastly, this proposal has caused confusion and unnecessary stress. Leaving out critical components, such as what a prescribed municipality might be, is not helpful in understanding what this proposal may entail. It only creates more questions and uncertainty.