As a resident of Toronto, I…

As a resident of Toronto, I am opposed to Bill 212 for many reasons, but I want to focus my comment today on two things.

First, I want to debunk the myth that bike lanes cause traffic congestion. There is no evidence to suggest that bike lanes cause or increase traffic congestion. That idea, the entire foundation for Bill 212, is simply not true. There is lots of evidence to the contrary. Please at least read the linked CBC article. There are also longer reports linked within the article, if you want to learn more. I want to be very concise and clear: bike lanes ease traffic congestion. They do not cause congestion, and they do not make congestion worse. Once again: bike lanes ease traffic congestion.

Second, regardless of their impact on commute times, bike lanes save lives. Streets with bike lanes are far safer than streets without them, not only for cyclists, but also for drivers and pedestrians. Removing existing bike lanes or blocking new ones in Toronto, or anywhere else in Ontario, will only lead to more reckless, high-speed driving. I seldom see eye-to-eye with Premier Ford, but I agree when he said: “We have to make sure there is never a death in the city. One death is way too many when it comes to bicycle riders,” but I would add that the same is true for drivers and pedestrians as well.

To summarize, passing Bill 212, removing any existing bike lanes, or blocking new ones, will increase traffic congestion, and senselessly endanger countless lives every single day. By voting “yes” to Bill 212, you will kill people. You will kill cyclists, you will kill drivers, you will kill passengers, and you will kill pedestrians. I hope that this Bill is voted down, but if it passes, those of you who vote “yes” will be directly responsible for these deaths. I urge every MPP voting on Bill 212, protect public safety, protect your constituents’ safety, and vote “no” to Bill 212.