As a lifelong resident of…

As a lifelong resident of Ontario I am deeply offended by the paternalistic micro-managing at the heart of this proposal for municipalities to require provincial approval before making decisions about the installation of bike lanes in their communities.

Each community is capable of making its own decision about the appropriateness of bike lanes. And residents in those communities are uniquely poised to provide input on a case by case basis.

As well, I am appalled by the authoritarian approach the current provincial government is taking when it comes to prioritizing automobile travel over safe travel for everyone who uses the roads. This arrogance defies logic especially in a carbon-challenged world that is rapidly approaching the brink of catastrophic climate change.

A more insidious cause of gridlock in my city, Toronto, is the continued blocking of roads by developers who routinely take up entire lanes of traffic for years at a time during construction.

When one sees the haunting image of ghost bikes erected in memory of cyclists killed as they try to navigate the city, the idea of removing local authority to make decisions about where cyclists should be permitted to ride is an authoritarian power grab with lethal and tragic consequences.

This policy proposal is so misguided and absurd that the only explanation for it is the transparent political motivation to generate votes for the political party in power. Perhaps it's time for the Premier to start to govern the province for all of the people who live here, not just the politically-aligned voters in key strategic districts.