As a newly graduated student…

As a newly graduated student now working full time, biking has proved to be a very economical and important method of transportation for me and my fellow peers in our time at school and beyond. I live in Ottawa, and have seen an increase in biking when new bike lanes are added. Furthermore, these proper lanes promote safety of the cyclists by keeping a safe median or distance with motor vehicles.

The Bill proposes the province must approve bike lanes requiring removal of a traffic lane; yet I find several streets here that would benefit from a bike lane that moves several people along a street, rather than a wasted space for handful of parked cars. I don't believe the province should dictate what the city deems best for moving its people.

Having recently gotten a car commute to my work, I also strongly feel from this perspective that I would much rather have cyclists in their own dedicated and safe lanes, rather than being so close to a rolling several ton killing machine. Some of the streets I drive along have too many lanes, and had they supported safe bike lanes, I would definitely consider biking instead.

This act will not save anyone time, it will not reduce gridlock. I am 23 and understand the idea of induced demand better than the politicians still thinking under the primitive idea that "one more lane" will fix traffic congestion. I recently traveled to the Netherlands, and it was clearly evident that bikes and bike infrastructure moved a lot more people than cars ever could. Cycling is a convenient, budget-friendly, and environmentally conscious option for transportation which should be prioritized much higher than it currently is in our cities. Not to mention the physical exercise benefits that would lead to a healthier population.

Finally, I remain confused why the province thinks it has jurisdiction to municipal affairs such as city designs and transportation decisions. Yet I hope that this bill does not come to fruition, or else I fear we will be set back in time to further car dependency and gridlock.