I am strongly opposed to all…

I am strongly opposed to all parts of Bill 212. I feel strongly it is not in the best interests of Ontarians or Ontario.

Limiting bike lane installation and removing environmental assessment processes for major highway projects does nothing to reduce gridlock. In fact, it actively ignores the growing demand for more sustainable, safe, and diverse transportation options.

I completely agree with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers who say,
“The key to solving Ontario’s traffic woes is not about maintaining the status quo of car-dominated roadways. Instead, we need to embrace multi-modal transportation — an approach that supports different forms of transport that cater to the needs of the people in each community.”

To reduce congestion, we need to offer alternative and varied ways for people to get around. This means investing in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and transit. Evidence-informed research says this is the best way to combat congestion. This government, by proposing to do anything EXCEPT create more bike lanes, is not following the evidence. Instead, this government is creating false evidence to support their narrative.

The Evidence:
- Investing in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure also has long term benefits for the health and wellbeing of our community. The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone.
- A poll conducted for the City of Toronto found that one-in-10 Torontonians say they bike to work. It also found a full 70% identify as recreational or utilitarian cyclists who use their bikes to get where they need to go. I am one of them.
- installing bike lanes on 9 routes between 2014 and 2021 boosted the number of riders by an average of 200%
- Toronto’s emergency services have for YEARS said that bike lanes do not present a problem for front-line responders. Police, fire and paramedic officials have all assured city officials that bike lanes do not hinder their effectiveness. The former head of Toronto’s paramedic service, told city council in 2022 there was “no evidence of emergency response impacts as a result of the midtown installation.” Fire service similarly assured council there was “no degradation of response time in this area.”

In fact, removing the bike lanes will COST money. Ridiculous. As a taxpayer and Torontonian I am deeply offended and angry that the city would waste time and money REMOVING public infrastructure.

Bikes lanes are a “if you build it, they will come” situation. Put in new bike lanes and they will be used. But remove them, and *people will continue to bike*. And there will not be bike lanes to help bikes and traffic share the road. And there will be accidents, and people will be hurt. Some people will die. Six people have died cycling in Toronto so far this year. Bill 212 says these lives don’t matter.

Requiring municipalities to receive approval from the province goes against everything this government claims to stand for. It will create red tape and bureaucracy. You should allow municipalities to do what’s right for their communities. Trust that elected officials can represent their local communities.

It also horrifies me that the government would do anything less than a comprehensive and complete environmental assessment for highway 413. We are in a climate crisis and an assessment should always be the first step. I work in health care, and we talk about assessment as being critical to safety. Timely and comprehensive assessments in health care is a fundamental skill that is REQUIRED, and I expect the same from you.
Additionally, information gathered during assessment informs ongoing decision-making. It is a step that cannot be skipped.

I urge the government to listen to the people they represent and scrap Bill 212.