I am a Toronto resident and…

I am a Toronto resident and I am writing to express my concerns for Bill 212.

The solution to congestion in Ontario is not removing bike lanes in Toronto. Bike lanes in Toronto have nothing to do with provincial flow of traffic and in fact removing them will pose a risk to both drivers and bikers as they negotiate public roads. The Bill also proposes the building of highway 413 through the Greenbelt to alleviate congestion, but the 407 is already an existing and underused highway that needs to be addressed first before spending billions to pave way for another highway that will likely be tolled with the proposal for broadband internet. We need another solution for density in our province.

Impact of Bike Lanes
The province is overstepping its jurisdiction by proposing Bill 212 to remove and assess every bike lane in the city of Toronto. Bike lanes are a matter for municipalities, not provinces. The bike lane across the city, especially the ones on University, Bloor and Yonge are keeping both drivers and bikers safe. I am a driver in the city and wouldn't feel safe without dedicated and protected bike lanes to separate bikers from drivers. Our city also depends on delivery bikers to deliver our foods and goods. This demand for food delivery will not stop because there are no more bike lanes, in fact what is likely to happen is an increase in collisions and fatalities as all road users try to negotiate unclear roads. Removing bike lanes in the city will push our city back decades in creating infrastructure for all. Cities across North America like Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago and many more have extensive bike networks that allow residents to unlock the full potential of their cities.

Impact of Highway 413
The solution to congestion is not a new highway which extensive research by experts has shown will increase congestion even more. Research indicates that expanding road capacity often leads to induced demand, where increased roadway space attracts more drivers, eventually resulting in congestion levels similar to those before expansion. Experts like Matthew Turner, a professor of economics at Brown University, emphasize that expanding road capacity without considering induced demand overlooks historical patterns of traffic behavior. Turner notes that building more highways has consistently failed to alleviate congestion in the long term. To effectively address traffic congestion, experts advocate for a multifaceted approach that includes investments in public transit like high speed trains, development of cycling infrastructure, and implementation of policies that encourage alternative modes of transportation.

There is already an existing and underused highway: the 407. Why is broadband internet needed for this proposed highway if it’s not intended to be used for tolls? If the province is planning on tolling highway 413, it would likely be significantly underused just like the 407. The proposed bill also wants an exemption from the Environmental Assessment Act - why? These environmental acts exist to assess the potential environmental effects before a project begins. Building a new highway through the Greenbelt will not alleviate congestion in Ontario and in fact could cause more congestion by incentivising people to use their cars more.

We need better infrastructure that can manage the density of our province for years to come, not short term solutions like highway 413 and removing bike lanes in Toronto.