Bill 212 will not reduce…

Bill 212 will not reduce gridlock.

This is just another way in which Doug Ford is trying to distract people from the fact that Bill 212 is trying to build another toll highway (413) that decimates environmental protection, individual protections of their own land and puts money in the pockets of developer friends. No highway construction has ever reduced gridlock and this one will not either.

It is very clear that by taking out bike lanes in the city, we will be putting more cyclist's lives at risk, wasting AT LEAST 48 million taxpayer dollars for a plan that will not reduce gridlock at all. Bike lanes in the city are used by a large percentage of Torontonians and the safer they are the more Torontonians will use them. If you get rid of these lanes not only are you pushing Toronto into YEARS of construction and further gridlock due to increased street construction, you will be effectively killing many cyclists and forcing those who used bikes back into cars which will again increase gridlock. Not only that, but most roads in Toronto where there were bike lanes were only ever single-lane traffic. There will be no better traffic flow if bike lanes are taken out. In fact, the traffic flow will be worse because there will be more cyclists driving cars.

The Ontario government needs to stay out of the city. They also need to be honest about the fact that Bill 212 is merely an excuse to push forward a corrupt toll highway development plan that will cost taxpayers close to 10 billion dollars and that will probably end up just like the 407.