The proposal of Bill 212…

The proposal of Bill 212 affects me directly as a commuter that uses bicycle infrastructure. It has been proven time and time again that the addition of bike lanes can improve congestion, get more people using active transportation, enhances communities and commercial areas and importantly can save lives. When visiting other cities as a tourist I also use my bicycle to more fully experience the city. In Toronto I was amazed at how much more of the city I was able to encounter with the current improvements to bike infrastructure. I felt more in touch with the city, visited more neighbourhoods and spent more money than if I had been stuck in a car. Without the segregated bike lanes there is no way that I would have felt safe riding around Toronto. When commuting anywhere in my own city I plan routes based on safe cycling options. There are any number of cited studies around the world that show adding more or bigger roads does not improve congestion it in fact worsens it. The title of this proposal is disingenuous and misrepresents what the outcome such regulations would be able to control. I believe that the province stepping in to control how municipalities choose to manage their active transporation networks is an overstep and nothing but a political ploy to gain points without providing any real solutions to gridlock.