I am writing to share my…

I am writing to share my opposition to Bill 212 that, if passed, would require municipalities to secure provincial approval for any new bike lanes that would take space away from motor vehicles. The bill would also require the removal of sections of existing bicycle lanes on University Avenue, Bloor Street, and Yonge Street, and possibly other existing bicycle lanes across the province.

The rationale for this proposal is the province’s desire to fight gridlock and make life easier for drivers, however, decades of transportation research and experience show that this move won’t reduce gridlock or save people time (research attached).

Simply put, motor vehicles cause congestion, not bikes. Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, the evidence shows that bike lanes do not create additional congestion whereas people switching from bikes to cars does. Combined with other proposals in this bill to build the new 413 highway, these plans further lock us into the car-centric planning decisions that lead to congestion in the first place (also known as induced demand). Bicycle lanes are an incredibly efficient way of moving people and can move many more people per hour than a lane focused primarily on moving motor vehicles.

A singular focus on “making life easier for drivers” will only make life harder for all road users. Yes, some people prefer to drive, but many people don’t and in any community at least, 30% of people can’t drive due to age, ability, or access, and they need real options too. Ontarians are multimodal and want to have choice in how they get around. A recent poll by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition found that 65% of Ontarians wanted to cycle more if there were improved cycling infrastructure available. Just as highways result in more car trips, bike lanes increase cycling trips as well.

Importantly, bicycle lanes save lives, and help to make our roads safer for everyone, including people in motor vehicles. As the government heard from more than 120 physicians and researchers, the delay or removal of bike lanes will have devastating consequences.

At present, municipalities have the authority to design and install bicycle lanes on roads under their jurisdiction based on their own priorities and transportation context. As outlined by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), requiring provincial approval of bicycle lanes would be a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction.

Removing bike lanes can be considerably more costly than installation and include the need for re-design and re-configuration of roadways and intersections. As calculated by the City of Toronto, the bicycle lanes identified in this bill for removal would cost the taxpayers approximately $48 million to remove and come with a sunk cost of the $27 million the City of Toronto invested to build them in the first place. Municipalities have not budgeted for this, and even if the province picks up the tab, ripping out functional transportation infrastructure is not fiscally responsible.

It should also be noted that the road closures and delays caused by the reconstruction of roadways during bicycle lane removal with further cause congestion and delays to the flow of traffic.

As highlighted by the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI), this move is out of line with other provincial priorities such as the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement, which includes several policies that support the use of bike lanes. It also doesn’t support the province’s e-scooter micromobility pilot program, which was recently extended.

Organizations representing municipalities and thousands of mobility and road safety professionals across Ontario have voiced their opposition to the transportation planning measures in this bill, including:
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Ontario Good Roads Association
• Ontario Professional Planning Institute
• Women in Urbanism Canada
• 120 physicians and researchers from the University of Toronto
• Ontario Society of Professional Engineers
• Ontario Public Health Association

I urge the government to respect and leverage the expertise and experience of these organizations and work with them instead on meaningful solutions to the very real problem of congestion. Removing bicycle lanes and adding red tape to the municipal planning process isn’t the solution.