I am generally pro-business…

I am generally pro-business but have some serious concerns about the proposed legislation to require municipalities to apply for and receive approval from the province should they wish build a bike lane that would remove a car traffic lane. Relatedly, I do not agree with the propose legislation’s empowering the province to remove cycling infrastructure should it not meet their car traffic-centric criteria.

Firstly, this change will increase the number of cyclist deaths in our province. As vehicles (defined by the HTA) cyclists will often choose the fastest route and if this is on a road without cycling infrastructure (such as bicycle lanes) there will be more collisions, resulting in increased injuries and deaths. Beyond the increased physical and social harm, this will reduce our province’s economic productivity. Possible alternative routes for bicycle lanes (away from main corridors) are festooned with stop signs and other features that cannot, because of the primary function of those roads, be sufficiently altered so as to provide a time-efficient route for cycling.

Cycling is good for the health of Ontarians. We should encourage this mode of transport as it is a form disease-preventing exercise and it reduces the number polluting (in their production and operation) automobiles in a community. Convincing evidence that there is a net reduction in the viability of businesses that are located on streets that have lost car traffic lanes so that cycling infrastructure can be installed is something that I do not believe exists. Further, even if such changes does negatively affect a subset of businesses, like any change in the marketplace, the businesses that can adapt by, for instance, moving locations or altering their method of producing/getting their product to consumers, will be rewarded. It is the same for any other change in the economic landscape.

Finally, this proposal is anti-democratic. The municipal governments voted into office by the citizens of a municipality should have the authority to oversee the development of the transportation policies for their municipality. If they do a poor job at this then trust the electorate to bounce them out of office. It is a hit to our democracy to see the Province of Ontario propose this legislation that tramples on the rights of the people living in the affected municipalities. The Province may not agree with a municipality’s transportation policy, but it should abide by their right to set it. Is not the Conservative Party of Canada supposed to be the defender of our democratic rights? This intrusionary legislation suggests that they can be tempted take the route that seems expedient even if it is not a democratic one…