I wish to hereby voice my…

I wish to hereby voice my strong opposition to Bill 212.

I believe the arguments for the personal, community, societal and environmental benefits of cycling and safe infrastructure have been well covered made many times over.

As a regular cycling commuter and a recreational rider I would just like say:
1. It is deeply concerning that when we as a region are making good progress on developing multi-modal transportation the provincial government believes they can make better decisions than those who are here on the ground living the situation every day.
2. The 2018 Region of Waterloo Transportation Master Plan is a strong and robust roadmap developed by this community for this community. It builds on the 2010 version and has as it’s first and most important umbrella policy “Build a Transportation Network that Supports all Modes of Travel”. This includes cycling which is referenced 74 times in its 117 pages showing it is an integral and important part of moving forward. Bill 212 would undermine this community plan setting back important progress.
3. This bill which promotes cars over other transportation options is a step backward. This is especially the case now when time are tough and people are looking ways to cut costs. Not requiring a car is certainly a large financial burden that can be removed from people when there are alternatives including cycling that will get them where they need to go. This bill unnecessarily disincentivizes people from seeking out and using alternative transportation option.
4. Bike lanes have made my commute easier and reduced the anxiety of riding in traffic. Living in Waterloo Region there are a number of bike lanes on larger Regional roads that are more direct routes than winding through subdivisions. Bike lanes on larger roads have encouraged me to commute and run errands regularly.

On Highway 413 I would also like to voice strong opposition because:
1. The provincial government is ignoring the findings of its own studies showing Highway 413 would have only minor reductions in travel times. So it is not at all likely that the intended positive impacts will be materialize
2. There are also a myriad of environmental reasons for scrutinizing the 413 that have been well covered elsewhere. Therefore it is imperative that an environmental assessment for this highway be undertaken.

For all these reasons and a multitude of others that others have also articulated I urge the Provincial Government to withdraw Bill 212.