Gridlock is a major problem…

Gridlock is a major problem in Ontario, however the solution to this problem is not building more roads. There have been many studies that have shown that adding extra lanes to roads in fact increases traffic over time. As a daily commuter on Bloor (sometimes by car and sometimes by bike), I am strongly opposed to Bill 212. The bike lanes on Bloor not only make it safer and easier for cyclists to commute, but they also make it easier for drivers as well. Cyclists can have their own space on the road, ensuring less conflicts with cars. The more people who can cycle safely to and from work, school and errands also has environmental and health benefits. Moreover, not allowing people to use accessible thoroughfares on bikes will push these commuters back into cars, further adding to the congestion. There is a hard limit on how many more cars we could possibly fit on the roads in Toronto, however, the scaling of bike lanes and public transit is exponential. If the focus of this bill was truly to reduce gridlock, the government would be focussing on expanding transit, adding more bike lanes and providing more accessible options for getting around that don’t rely on our already overly congested roads. Bike lanes must remain on main arteries, as these are the most efficient routes for commuters, and secondary roads won’t provide the same efficiency, thus forcing cyclists to use the main arteries regardless.

I am also not in support of the fast-tracking of building highways, including the 413. There is no reason to not perform due diligence when spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a massive project that will have major impacts on the environment. All road projects that pass through protected land should be subject to environmental assessment to ensure that impacts are minimized, and this should not be accelerated under any circumstances.

Stop Bill 212.