I am commenting on the…

I am commenting on the section on Bill 212 that specifically deals with the approval and regulation of bike lanes.
I understand the need to find a solution for increased congestion; however, I do not believe that taking out vital bike lanes, or forcing the constructing of bike lanes to be approved by Ministry before being developed will be beneficial for reducing gridlock.

The construction of bike lanes has proven to increases the amount of local cyclists in multiple communities across Ontario. The removal of the bike lanes will only increase congestion as the roads become less safe for cyclists who will have to resort back to driving. Bike lanes encourage biking, which not only reduces per capita emissions, but also reduces the amount of vehicles creating congestion. Ontario's population continues to grow, and continuing to design urban communities around personal vehicle use will only result in more congestion. Additionally there will be continuous road repairs and work needed to be done once more cars are using roads, which will be reflected in the amount that taxpayers will have to pay in the future. Instead of implementing laws that make it more difficult for municipalities to create sustainable cities, why not aid in the transformation away from car dependency? Finish through on the promise for more reliable public transit, a solution that will get more people of the streets during rush hour.
I would also disagree that bike lanes have proven to be useless and have just been taking up road space.
For example, in Toronto's 2023 cycling recap, the report found that the implementation of bike lanes along multiple streets has increased cyclists. The report found that between 2020 and 2023 the number of rides through Bike Share has increased from 2.9 million to 5.7 million, and the yearly memberships purchased increased from 18,855 to 35, 555. While this is only an example of one city, the statistics show that commuting by bike has continuously increased over the past three years, and by forcing municipalities to obtain provincial approval before constructing bike lanes, will only make the process more difficult and slower, and discourage citizens from cycling.