Bill 212 is yet another…

Bill 212 is yet another example of this government acting on preconceived notions without adequate input from those who will be affected. I am taking part even though I do not anticipate that my comments will make any material difference on the outcome.

I have not seen any material evidence that removing bike lanes will improve traffic flow or make streets safer for everyone who uses them. It is illogical to conclude that bikes travelling with cars in the same lane will somehow ease traffic and be safer for riders. Many riders who feel unsafe riding in mixed traffic will simply move to the sidewalk, placing pedestrians in danger.

As well, e-bike riders and delivery workers will likely move to the sidewalk to avoid operating within the mixed traffic stream. Because they are essentially unregulated, move more rapidly, are heavier and silent, I feel it's only a matter of time before someone is killed. They belong on the roads within a marked bike lane.

If the government really wished to improve traffic flow it would have also outlawed construction sites which occupy travelled lanes for months at a time. I believe that was not done because the government is influenced by the support it gets from the development industry (see: Greenbelt scandal).

I do not wish to see my tax dollars spent on removing bike lanes put in place by my municipally elected Council. City Council made a decision - which it was elected to do - and has invested in the City in a way that it believes is correct. The fact that the Provincial government is prepared to spend my money to overrule that decision is offensive to me.

If the Provincial government has legitimate concerns about how traffic flows, it should consult the City in an open manner, and reach a consensus on how conditions could be approved. There could then be joint action to solve an issue that affects the Toronto region, rather than a high-handed, autocratic decision direct solely at the City. As I have said, I do not expect this consultation to change anything.

Those are my comments.