Bill 212 is an egregious…

Bill 212 is an egregious overreach of this provincial government, demonstrates the government's lack of understanding of public infrastructure, and is far from what a "common sense" approach actually looks like.

This bill removes checks and balances needed for democratic governing. It seeks to extend the provincial government's power to take land away from residents without opposition and bypass environmental assessment to build a highway that cuts through a designated greenbelt. In addition, this government is trying to take control of decisions that should belong to the municipal governments, namely, the City of Toronto.

If this bill had taken a common sense approach towards reducing traffic, it would have prioritized investment in other modes of transportation, such as further developing cycling infrastructure or ensuring that public transportation projects like the Eglinton line are completed in a timely manner. (As a reminder, The Eglinton is in its 14th year of construction, with no firm opening date.)

Furthermore, it is baffling that this bill ignores facts, nor can it demonstrate an understanding of "induced demand" (e.g., how increasing the supply of something leads to increased use) and how it impacts traffic. We've actually seen this concept play out with the expansion of Highway 401, which led to more cars on the highway and more traffic.

We've also seen this happen with cycling, which has grown in popularity within Toronto after installing the same bike lanes this bill seeks to destroy. Bike lane use has increased exponentially, up to 600% in certain areas, according to a recent report by Toronto's City Hall, with Bikeshare ridership experiencing record demand in 2024 (Bike Share Toronto's director expects that more than six million trips will be taken on Bike Share by the end of the year). New building developments within the city have noticed this trend and built ample bike storage into their construction plans. Even celebrities have taken to cycling around the streets of Toronto; Arnold Schwarzenegger is known to get around the city on a bike.

Lastly, world-class cities such as London, Paris, and New York City are investing more in their cycling infrastructure. They understand and have seen the benefits of making cycling more viable: it has led to reductions in traffic, lowers toxic pollution caused by vehicles, creates safer roads, increases local business, and provides a reliable and cheap mode of transportation for low-income residents.

Bill 212 will achieve the exact opposite: it will increase traffic, pollution, and accidents and decrease foot traffic, which supports local business sales. What will the province do when traffic continues to rise despite ripping out the bike lanes? Will they take out the sidewalks next?

We know what's causing traffic: it's the endless construction projects and the increase in car use post-pandemic. Not bikes.

This bill will leave Toronto behind, burden the rest of the province with the high costs to undo the work already done, and position Ontario to pay even more to catch up to the rest of the world.