I am strongly opposed to the…

I am strongly opposed to the limitations to bicycle lanes proposed in Bill 212. Firstly, bike lanes do not cause congestion. Rather, they help reduce single occupancy vehicles on our roads, reducing congestion. We should be building more, better bike infrastructure to encourage and support people in using other forms of travel, both to reduce congestion and as part of our strategy to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Requiring Ministerial review and approval of any bike lanes that reduce car travel lanes will increase the cost, time and energy needed to move ahead with active transportation projects. That's exactly the opposite direction from where we need to be headed.

Secondly, this chill on bike lane installation is a direct attack on the physical safety of people who choose to travel by bike. Well designed bike lanes not only clarify and streamline different road uses, they keep people safe. There have already been too many deaths and serious injuries for people on bikes. This bill will only make the risks worse.

Thirdly, this proposal paves the way for unjustified overreach into municipal jurisdictions. Municipalities have the right and the responsibility to develop their own transportation plans, in consultation with their citizens. The province has no business interfering in these plans.