Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock…

Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act - is an unwarranted intrusion into local government decision-making, and should be withdrawn. The stated purpose - to reduce traffic gridlock - will not be served by obstructing the use of bike lanes, and the removal of bike lanes will put cyclists at risk.

I am a former Ottawa City Councillor (2000-2010) who has gone through Official Plan reviews and Transportation Master Plan approvals in the City of Ottawa, involving both expert and public input and review. City Council has the mandate to develop and maintain transportation networks within the city and is responsible to its taxpayers and electorate for this. The City promotes active transportation in its policies, which includes walking, cycling and public transit. The City has determined that the establishment of bike lanes meets its goals of encouraging bicycle use and enhancing safety. There is no need or justification for provincial interference here.

The cause of traffic gridlock is cars. The Province should be encouraging the use of other modes of travel such as walking, cycling and public transit to mitigate traffic gridlock. Removing bike lanes will increase car use, defeating the purpose of this bill.

Lastly, the requirement in Bill 212 to require a provincial environmental assessment for every application to establish bike lanes in every municipality in Ontario will create a bureaucratic nightmare. Local government uses a public process in creating safe bike lanes, permitting public input, and is held accountable for its actions by its electorate. This way local needs on local streets are met by local government. Provincial over-sight is not needed here. Provincial accountability for decisions affecting the varied circumstances found in every municipality is weak to non-existant.