Regarding schedule 4, this…

Regarding schedule 4, this is an absolutely terrible idea that not only ignores established research and real-world precedent, but actively opposes them. This is the traffic equivalent of denying climate change.

It is disgusting that safety isn't even listed as a consideration here. That alone is a remarkable failing that should have been caught and addressed immediately upon the first draft. The fact that it wasn't only serves to assure us that this bill was not written to be in the public's interest. With no bike lane, cyclists either end up illegally on the sidewalk or they share lanes with cars, which increases danger of death or injury, frustrates drivers (leading to increased likelihood of incidents), taxes the mental health of cyclists, incentivizes some cyclists to switch to driving instead (which further increases congestion), and offers no benefit to make up for any of these.

In fact, the *only* consideration listed is whether a bike lane reduces the number of car lanes. For decades, we continue to see that the number of lanes cars can use is not a useful metric. The legislation doesn't even attempt to tackle reducing congestion, which is what it's supposedly meant to be doing given the bill's name.

We've always known how to reduce congestion: reduce the number of cars on the road. Cars are what cause congestion, not bicycles or any other inane excuse. Cars are the cause of every problem that ever comes up when it comes to roads. They kill and injure people, take up tons of space, put a lot of strain on roads, are vastly inefficient for moving people when not much flexibility is required, and are at the root of the mental strain caused by transportation.

This is an egregious overreach by the provincial government into the jurisdiction of municipalities, and a very stupid hill to die on. In addition, this is simply one part of a larger bill that should be multiple separate bills. The others involve more of the same lack of evidence.

The provincial government should be absolutely ashamed of having this bill mire them.