The proposed Bill 212 is an…

The proposed Bill 212 is an extraordinary overreach into municipal jurisdiction. It will prevent the installation of life-saving infrastructure that is an essential part of an efficient and forward-looking transportation system, wasting taxpayers’ money in the process.

Bike lanes are essential infrastructure for cyclists just as sidewalks are for pedestrians, and bus stops are for transit users. Car drivers are not the only road users, and bike lanes help keep our streets safe for ALL users. As a driver myself, I prefer when cyclists have the option to stay safely out of my way in a protected bike lane - I don’t even need to worry about getting into an accident. I also appreciate having the option to leave the car at home and travel safely by bike, as it is faster and more convenient when making trips within my neighbourhood and in the surrounding areas.

Bill 212 discriminates against those who cannot afford a car or cannot drive, marginalizing individuals who rely on cycling to commute to work, to school or to pick up their children. It sends a message to a portion of our population that they are undeserving of safe access to our roads, infrastructure, and businesses. Doug Ford’s inflammatory rhetoric only fuels tensions between drivers and cyclists, leaving cyclists, the more vulnerable of the two, at a severe disadvantage.

Finally, ripping out existing bike lanes and cancelling plans developed by municipalities, which are better equipped to understand local traffic patterns and needs, is a blatant waste of taxpayers’ money. The road closures required to remove bike lanes and redo lanes will in fact worsen congestion and commute times for ALL road users. Implementing a provincial review process for bicycle infrastructure will only add unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy to a process that does not and should not fall under provincial jurisdiction.

Overall, Bill 212 is a regressive policy and will be harmful not only to cyclists, but to all road users. Cycling is a low cost, healthy and environmentally friendly method of transportation that gets people out of their cars, reducing the amount of congestion on the roads. Cycling infrastructure is an essential part of a efficient transportation system, enabling people to drive less and reach public transit hubs from further away.

If the province wants to get people and goods out of gridlock, and recognizes that accidents and lane closures worsen traffic congestion (as stated in bill 212) the province should focus on delivering public transit projects and on building bike infrastructure that prevents accidents and saves lives