The proposed Bill is a step…

The proposed Bill is a step backwards in improving traffic flow in Toronto and the rest of Ontario. Adding extra lanes to a road or highway does not improve traffic conditions for drivers and does not address the root of the problem. Improving public transit and encouraging a shift to active transportation, for example by adding separated bike lanes, will help alleviate vehicle traffic. Removing bike lanes does not stop people biking, but does make biking significantly more unsafe. Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and removing the safe and environmentally friendly alternative of using separated bike lanes means that we will be contributing more to climate change. The GTA is already seeing the impacts of a changing climate, such as increased frequency and severity of flooding and extreme weather events. Removing bike lanes that have already been built is a gross mismanagement of tax payer money. Money that would be better used on a number of initiatives that could help the city and the province prepare for the future instead of moving backwards. This could include improving public transit so less people are reliant on driving for their commute, improving resilience to a changing climate so we're not spending millions of dollars on rebuilding after costly flooding events, and building more separated bike lanes so Ontarians have a safe and environmentally friendly transportation alternative.