This bill, while framed as a…

This bill, while framed as a progressive, environmentally beneficial act on behalf of Ontarians is very much a step backwards in the grand scheme of making Ontario a better place to travel. Inducing more citizens to be reliant on the automobile to get around for daily trips is not going to save everyone time and money. This is clearly a bill that is attempting to stoke a cultural divide that the premier is passionate about.

The proposal to require provincial approval for the removal of traffic lanes on roads which are not provincially regulated is a serious overstep of authority. This will add significant delays to already delayed projects. Most of these projects, despite being framed by the Ministry as unsafe and a nuisance to drivers, actually increase safety for all road users. This fact is conveniently left out of the description of the bill. As someone who drives a motor vehicle for most of their weekly trips and who uses the O'Connor street corridor in Ottawa regularly, I have no desire to see these improvements removed and/or made more difficult to implement in the future.

I recommend that the staffers at the ministry learn more about road safety through a modern lens and stop pushing divisive legislation that is clearly not backed by real-world data.