I believe this set of…

I believe this set of amendments will act to reduce due process and the ability of affected parties - individual property owners and businesses - to negotiate effectively for fair compensation when construction of highway infrastructure requires appropriation of private property. I submit that the government should pay above market value in such cases. I also believe the requirement for municipalities to provide "notice" to the province of intention to build new bike lanes that require closure of a traffic lane is simply a way to throttle the development of bike infrastructure within the City of Toronto. There is significant evidence in favour of creating more bike lanes and reducing car traffic lanes. Reversing course at this point on the City's excellent plan, duly approved by Council, would be a grave mistake and would both reduce safety of cyclists and add to gridlock. The plan is attached below, with plenty of additional evidence as to its benefits, including outcomes and how those will be monitored.

This is just a populist ploy, similar to selling beer and wine in corner stores - the tax revenue from more alcohol sales is going to be eaten by the costs of additional anti-addiction programs and increased health care, and the assumed improvements in car traffic will never materialize while pollution will grow and cyclists will be less safe. But hey, if you can get re-elected for another four years, why worry about anything long-term?