This bill proposes the…

This bill proposes the removal of existing bike lanes and the enactment of barriers to building new bike infrastructure. I am shocked the provincial government thinks this should be their responsibility rather than that of each municipal government, who are better positioned to manage transit on local roads. The province is best positioned for highways that bridge multiple municipalities. If the province really cared about mobility within the GTA, they would ensure transit projects are fully funded and completed in a timely manner. Or perhaps ensure critical provincial infrastructure is not effectively sold to the private sector (407 long-term lease). Adding more lanes and car capacity is not a solution to car gridlock. There are multiple examples of this in other urban areas such as Texas/Houston, which continues to have high gridlock despite massive highways and roads with high car capacity.

The best solution to gridlock is to incentivize individuals & families to take forms of transit that are denser, faster, and more reliable. The way you do that is by investing in biking infrastructure and in trains. Car infrastructure does not scale as effectively as bikes/trains and is not a long-term solution for the GTA.

If the problem with our current streets is gridlock (too many cars for the available road capacity), why does the province think the solution is to further incentivize car driving (via the building of additional car lanes)? This bill shows a complete lack of understanding of incentive structure in designing effective policy.

I have also yet to mention the issue of climate change, and how a reduction in car dependency is required in order for us to meet our climate goals. Reduced car dependency would also have positive effects on people's physical health, as other transport methods are inherently healthier with the walking/biking required.

I would like to see the province acknowledge the well researched best-principles of urban design as seen in countries in Europe and Asia. A basic start would be the YouTube channel Not Just Bikes. These resources are already in existence and to see them ignored is equivalent to the province sticking its head in the sand because we have a premier who likes driving. This is irresponsible governance and this bill is inexcusable.