I strongly oppose this…

I strongly oppose this proposal to remove bike lanes in Toronto. This bill would add unnecessary bureaucracy to urban planning across the province, and it would specifically interfere with municipalities' ability to serve their constituents, many of whom support having the freedom to choose how to commute, which includes roads that have safe bike lanes. The research on this issue is essentially settled: bike lanes serve an important need by providing a real and reliable option to commuters for how to get around, in addition to public transportation, sidewalks, and motor vehicles. All of these options should be available to Ontarians; removing bike lanes and slowing the expansion of cities' bike networks will only endanger the lives of people who do not drive and worsen commuting times for everyone by forcing road users to all use the same infrastructure. Bloor, Yonge, and University are not going to be easier to travel through for cars or for cyclists, if everyone who currently bikes on these roads is not able to travel on a separated, protected bike lane. There are no viable side streets that can replace these bike lanes, and even if there were, it would not be a reason to make these major streets, which span large distances in the city, less useful to both cyclists and drivers.

I reject this bill's heavy-handed and one-size-fits-all approach to infrastructure and I strongly advise the province not to proceed.