This proposal looks to be a…

This proposal looks to be a waste of both time and money, as well as a massive overreach by the province. Local governments understand their own traffic needs and should be trusted to make these decisions without provincial interference. Adding an extra layer of approval will only delay projects and drive up costs. Forcing municipalities to gather and submit information about existing bike lanes will create more bureaucracy and financial strain, especially for smaller towns/cities with fewer resources. This will divert funds from actual infrastructure projects to unnecessary paperwork.

Finally, I am distressed to have provincial leadership with seemingly no awareness of urban planning successes in other cities, states, and countries. There have been countless studies that suggest that bike lanes do not cause gridlock and may even improve overall traffic flow: the NYC DOT studies, SF's Valencia St, the Portland State University study, the Copenhagen studies ... the list is quite literally endless. Ontario's provincial leadership seems to be stuck in a 1970's mentality about urban planning, which is a disturbing realization.

In 2024, it should be more than obvious that we should be fast-tracking sustainable transportation like bike lanes, not slowing them down with red tape. This proposal feels like a step backward, wasting time and money instead of supporting local efforts to reduce car dependency and promote healthier communities.