This Bill represents a step…

This Bill represents a step in the wrong direction on our goal to improving our cities. Gridlock is not being worsened by bike lanes and there is no data to suggest that removing bike lanes to restore multiple lanes of traffic will do anything to improve gridlock.

Municipalities have far and above more expertise than the provincial government on where bike lanes should be installed to reduce traffic and approve alternative means of transportation. There is no logic to shifting the decision-making to the provincial government to determine where and when bike lanes should be authorized within a municipality.

The provincial government should be focusing on supporting municipalities by connecting cities through public transit, instead of removing alternative means of transportation from within cities. Improving alternative modes of transportation is a necessity to manage our growing population. Attempting to efficiently move people between and within our cities through the use of cars is a fools errand. You need only look at the gridlock that exists between and within cities where a staggering amount of new car infrastructure is brand new and yet gridlock prevails.

The key to unlocking the ability to transport people more efficiently is by prioritizing the highest density forms of transportation, of which single occupant vehicles ranks lowest. Ontario could choose to be a leader in North America by abandoning its obsession with car traffic and prioritize high-density means of transportation. Focus on contracting experienced public transit designers and developers for regional networks and leave municipalities to manage biking infrastructure on their own.