To whom it may concern, I…

To whom it may concern,

I am writing because I am highly in opposition to the proposed addition to the Highway Traffic Act set out in Bill 212, where bicycle lanes will require Ministry approval.

Bicycle lanes encourage active transport and provides as safe space for individual to do so. By reserving a separate lane for cyclists, they no longer have to share a lane with cars, which often slows traffic flow and results in dangerous situations for both drivers and cyclists. I would also argue that bike lanes reduce accidents by decreasing bike and car interactions, which aligns with the Government of Ontario's statement that it "Recognizes that accidents and lane closures can worsen traffic congestion and impact the quality of life of Ontarians".

While removing bike lanes may dissuade some from biking, which seems to be the goal of this policy, there will always be some who choose to bike. This may be for a number of reasons, such as cars being too expensive to afford, biking being more reasonable for short distance trips or simply because biking is more enjoyable and presents health benefits. As such, there will always be bikes on the road, whether there are bike lanes or not. This loops back to my previous arguments on safety and traffic flow.

In addition, given the climate emergency that we are in, how does the Government of Ontario intend to address the increased carbon emissions that would result from the implementation of this change to the Highway Traffic Act? Why is the province promoting the use of motor vehicles given the climate crisis that we face? Surely encouraging more people to use active or public transport would improve traffic flow more by reducing the number of cars on the road than adding one lane would. Carbon emissions are reduced when bike lanes are implemented because 1) some individuals choose to bike instead of drive and 2) traffic flow is smoother than if bikers and drivers shared the same lane.

Lastly, I would also like to point out that this policy steps directly into municipal jurisdiction and I believe the province should have no say in such matters. For all the reasons listed above, I urge the province not to approve this change to the Highway Traffic Act.

I thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.