Hello -- I would like to…

Hello -- I would like to share my strong objections to the entirety of Schedule 4 of this Bill. The new legislative powers being allocated to the Minister of Transportation are disproportionate and do not reflect evidence of existing issues with the municipal creation and maintenance of Bike Lanes.
While the Highway Traffic At contains more than 200 references to the Minister and ministry's role in maintaining the "safety" of road users, this proposal establishes an opposite priority. By requiring Minister approval of new bike lanes, the province will effectively prohibit decisions and infrastructure investments that should be developed and deployed based on the expertise of municipal planning staff. The only criteria these amendments prioritize is impact on motor vehicle travel times; this dismisses the value of cyclist comfort, safety, and even mortality.
This is irresponsible and unethical governance. This proposal is even more offensive as it runs counter to the preponderance of evidence that demonstrate safe cycling infrastructure can improve traffic flow, remove vehicle congestion from roadways, increase local economic development, improve individual and community health outcomes. While I know MTO staff are well aware of this evidence, I would recommend political staffers in the Minister's and Premier's office acquaint themselves the facts referenced here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319
If municipal traffic flow presents issues that are so significant as to require intervention from the provincial government, then there are many alternative policy or legislative proposals that could provide drivers relief without sacrificing the safety of cyclists: eliminating on-street parking to free up travel lanes, providing greater enforcement of drivers blocking intersections and parking in no-stopping zones, restricting commercial deliveries on major arteries to exclude rush hours, imposing congestion fees during peak road use times, providing greater subsidized service for public transit, limiting lane closures associated with construction projects, etc.
If the government proceeds with Bill 212 as drafted, not only will this new legislation fail to deliver any meaningful improvements to drivers dealing longer than pre-pandemic travel times, it will also be actively creating a more dangerous and deadly province. Please reflect on your responsibilities to all citizens of Ontario and reconsider this cravenly political, ineffective and harmful plan. Thank You