So once again the Premier of…

So once again the Premier of Ontario is choosing to use his power to harass Toronto rather than serve the Province and address the actual problems Ontarians care about. For the sake of reminding the Premier as he seems to conveniently forget what these items are, they include healthcare, housing and affordability. So I have some questions that are going to end up being rhetorical as I doubt they will receive a proper answer.

1 - Who is this bill for?
* And no, car commuters is not a valid answer as it has been proven time and time again that more lanes will simply lead to "induced demand". Which to put simply, is the effect of pushing more people to commute by car when we make it easier to commute by car. So increasing the number of lanes will also increase the number of car commuters which contradicts the entire point of adding those lanes to begin with. (ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand)
** Let's also set the facts straight on local businesses. More car lanes do not increase local traffic for businesses because cars are almost always used for trips from home to some location and back again. Additionally, the required parking for local businesses comes with a price either to the city or to the businesses themselves. (ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Cost_of_Free_Parking)

2 - How does this actually reduce gridlock?
* See my previous point explaining induced demand. Making it easier to drive is always going to increase the numbers of drivers on the road which means more traffic.
** In contrast to more lanes, less car lanes will reduce the number of cars passing through an area because it is now more difficult to do so. Adding a bike lane further reduces the number of cars passing through as it provides alternative commuting options. People would now be able to get to work via bicycle, scooter or with other mobility devices. This could introduce a brand new market for small personal mobility devices (and it already has to some degree) which would help stimulate local economies.

3 - What is your plan for non-drivers?
* A fair share of Ontarians do not own cars. The vast majority of Toronto residents do not commute by car and instead opt for public transit. Why should these individuals have to not only have their commutes made more complicated by additional car lanes, but also pay for these car lanes indirectly via their taxes? (the Ontario gas tax was the primary funding source for road maintenance, which was cut for purely political reasons)
** Many of the aforementioned non-drivers may be handicapped or mobility impaired and require the use of personal scooters or similar devices. Bike lanes provide these individuals with an opportunity for safe mobility that doesn't interfere with sidewalk foot traffic.
*** Finally, choosing to not drive is becoming a financial decision to save money. Cars are expensive, and yet the Premier and other politicians seem very intent on forcing people to depend on these expensive tools. The Ontario government's desire to remove alternative forms of transit is making peoples' lives more expensive, and let's not forget the Premier's broken promise to bring down car insurance.

In summary, bike lanes are a necessity for rebuilding our local economies which are still recovering from the Pandemic and reducing the economical burden that more car lanes bring. Our cities cannot afford more car lanes, and neither can Ontarians who are choosing between rent and food. Bike lanes are proven to increase economic activity to the benefit of local businesses and provides alternative mode of transportation to help Ontarians save thousands of dollars in expensive car fees a year.

With both consumer cost savings and local business benefits in mind, removing bike lanes would be an incredibly fiscally irresponsible decision that only serves politics and not people. Beyond what I have mentioned here, there is still a plethora of other reasons Bill 212 is a terrible idea. This includes safety for both commuters and youth who are too young to drive cars along with millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted that could be used to address the actual crises Ontarians want solved.