This bill is a terrible idea…

This bill is a terrible idea. It is yet another incursion into territory that should be reserved for local municipal government. Bill 212 should have been followed by consultation with municipalities to establish reasonable criteria to judge whether taking out a car lane to add bike lanes was viable. That would have been a reasonable compromise. That was what the minister said he was going to do. Instead, the government simply bans all car lane removals - no matter how overbuilt a street is. Perhaps there aren’t many overbuilt streets in Toronto - but there are in cities across the province.

Why does the government think that people only matter when they are in cars? I mostly drive, but I want to have the option to cycle or walk safely. I also want to use transit rather than driving - yet this legislation could well lead to a ban on new transit priority lanes. Why do you not understand that if the only good option is to drive, everyone will drive - and the streets will grind to a halt? That building a tunnel under the 401 will bring even more cars into the city, with even more gridlock? If the province has $100 billion to spend on a tunnel, they should instead spend it on new transit lines.

The prime architect of Bill 212 was soundly defeated in the provincial election. This bill is strongly opposed by municipalities across the province. You have no mandate to do something as arbitrary as this. This legislation should be withdrawn.