I am a driver, a homeowner…

I am a driver, a homeowner and a person who rides a bike. I preferentially bike year-round, to work, to shop, to run errands and for entertainment. I rarely take my car, even though I live in a suburban area. The implementation of complete streets in my city means it is becoming safer for everyone to move around, pedestrians, drivers and people who ride bikes. My children, my husband, I and our community are all much safer with the implementation of bikes lanes.

I am deeply disappointed by the reactive and regressive proposed Bill 212. With increasing population density, we can no longer rely on single occupancy motor vehicles to move folks around their neighbourhoods, the city and the province. It is imperative that decisions are made on evidence, not anecdotes or personal opinions.

Induced demand, or “the fundamental law of highway congestion” is confirmed by evidence going back to the 1960s. The concept also applies to a ton of other things, like public transportation and bike lanes — when you give people more of something or make it easy to access, they tend to use it more. Let’s have public discussion about tackling congestion that rely on the facts, not outdated ideas that can be disproven.

Cycling is a non-partisan issue, and improved infrastructure is imperative for a healthy, vibrant and safe community for all road users. Drawing complete streets and cycling infrastructure into a culture war is wrong and short-sighted. Please think beyond the next election cycle and help support long term sustainable growth for our community. Mobility behaviour is associated with orientation towards the common good, and cycling, rather than driving is positively associated with orientation towards the common good. Please consider the impact of our decisions on future generations. Decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world for the next seventh generation.

The majority of Ontarians are cyclists, and they want to cycle more often, given the numerous benefits cycling brings in terms of healthy, safe and active communities. In addition, the fact that the data shows that Ontarians are both motorists and cyclists. With Ontario motorists also cycling regularly there is a clear imperative that we all focus on making our roads and our communities safer with investments that will save lives – and lessen congestion.

Bike lanes are increasingly being recognized for their potential benefits to communities, including promoting physical activity, improving safety, and supporting local economies. There are a number of varied, positive impacts of bike lanes based on multiple research studies.

A study out of Simon Fraser University, in Burnaby, B.C., examined the health-related cost-benefit ratios of planned cycling infrastructure investments between 2016 and 2020 in three Canadian cities. In all three cases the researchers found that the dollar value of health-related benefits exceeded the cost of planned infrastructure investments.

Bike lanes lead to a significant increase in the number of cyclists, promoting physical activity and healthier lifestyles

Bike lanes can have neutral to positive economic impacts on local businesses, with increased customer spending and foot traffic observed in areas where bike lanes replaced on-street parking.

Bike lanes support sustainable transportation by encouraging cycling over car use, which can reduce traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions

Bike lanes offer numerous benefits to communities, including increased physical activity, improved safety, economic gains, and environmental advantages.

Successful implementation of bike lanes requires community engagement and addressing concerns such as 'bikelash'—opposition to bike lanes. This is already happening with multiple town halls, clear, transparent reporting from city planning departments and ongoing adjustments to complete streets based on community feedback and data. Effective planning and coalition-building are essential for overcoming resistance and aligning with community needs.

I request that the Province work collaboratively with cities to address congestion and road safety and accordingly withdraw the proposed amendments to Part XII of the Highway Traffic Act contained in Bill 212. Together we can tackle some of the biggest, messiest problems that we face as a society. Thank you.