I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the province's undemocratic, unnecessary, and unwanted Bill 212. As a resident of Ontario, and a citizen of Toronto, I believe the contents of the legislation to be founded on shaky logic and magical thinking, when it comes to understanding how to effectively manage traffic gridlock and deliver Ontarians reliable, safe, and sustainable options for getting around.

Time and time again, this provincial government has demonstrated that they are incapable of making sound decisions, when it comes to the management of the road infrastructure of Toronto. As Canada's most populous city, Torontonians require a complete, multi-pronged approach to moving people around, and in a worsening global environmental crisis, spurred on by greenhouse gas base climate change, this city needs to move away from prioritizing infrastructure that favours single-occupant cars (a wildly inefficient method for transportation), and instead prioritize public transportation options like rail transit and bicycle infrastructure. Our public systems are buckling under the pressure of population increase, and prioritizing "solutions" that prioritize the car will not ease the burden for any of us.

For a government that brands itself as fiscally responsible, its remarkable how comfortable it is with wasting taxpayer's money, as the act of forcibly removing the bike lanes will be an expensive waste to the careful investment the City Toronto made. According to the City Manager (source linked), the provincial taxpayer will be responsible for $48 million for removal of a $27 million investment. I don't think that sounds like a reasonable thing for a supposedly fiscally responsible thing for a government to do.

Also cited in the City Manager's report is documentation about increased cyclist safety that has tracked alongside the growth of the city's bike lane infrastructure. The take-away is simple: bike lanes save lives. By removing them from the proposed streets, the provincial government is sending a message that they are comfortable with increasing injury and death rates for cyclists... all to favour drivers. This is also inconsistent with sentiments Premier Ford has made himself on the matter: In 2017, Ford was quoted by TVO on a tv segment about bike safety in Toronto:

"You’re nervous when there’s no bike lanes. At least I was. We have to do everything we can to make sure there’s never a death in the city. One death is way too many when it comes to bicycle riders."

On November 14th, Toronto's City Council voted 21-4 in favour of presenting an opposed position to Bill 212. The province CAN NOT ignore the will of the Toronto and its elected officials, when it comes to managing city infrastructure. I demand this government recognize this significant overreach, and step down from tabling Bill 212.