The bill's approach…

The bill's approach exemplified by this quote "Ontario is looking to fight gridlock and get drivers where they need to go faster" is wrong and outdated. At a time when cities around the world are implementing measures to make transportation safe by enforcing speed limits, reducing road width, installing barriers to speeding, and yes, by building more bike lanes and sidewalks, this bill appeals to an outdated cultural norm of the car being the main mode of transportation. At a time when many neighbourhoods in Ontario don't have sidewalks, cities are struggling to finance public transportation due to lack of funds, and the province fails to complete public transit projects that would help thousands of people travel quickly and safely, this bill prioritizes the needs of drivers. But this is not 1960!

In addition to destroying the environment and communities, building more highways is the surest way to increase gridlock. Appearing to shift the blame, the "anti-bike lane" lobby (which is ecstatic about this bill), claims that bike lanes result in gridlock. The fallacy of this argument has been demonstrated numerous times, including a recent CBC review of evidence: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319#:~:text=On…

Amongst all the commuter and recreational cyclists using bike lanes, today's urban residents rely on bike couriers to deliver food and parcels. It is immoral to expose these couriers, many of whom come from underprivileged communities, to potentially lethal accidents by removing safe bike lanes! Finally, the health needs of our children and seniors require safe active transportation infrastructure. This is where this bill sends a wrong message. The last thing we need is for people to drive more. Instead, let's help people stay active at any age by creating more, not fewer, safe active transportation options.