This bill represents the…

This bill represents the completely wrong direction this province should be heading if we care about the wellbeing of the people living here. Numerous studies from around the world have continually shown the net benefits of bike lanes, from traffic times to public health to economic benefits. The impact of bike lanes on overall traffic congestions ranges from minimal negative effects to very significant positive effects. This is due to a number of factors, including decreasing car usage and increasing bike usage, and since bike lanes can move multiple times more cyclists per lane than normal traffic lanes, this leads to a reduction in traffic congestion. Bike lanes also having a calming effect on traffic, leading to fewer collisions overall. And contrary to many fears, bike lanes have actually been shown to increase sales in retail stores on roads with bike lanes. So bike lanes are simply a win-win scenario for cities, and not a convenient scape-goat for improper transport infrastructure. The bill proposes changes that will make it more difficult and tiresome to get bike lanes approved and installed, and to review current lanes, thereby decreasing bike lanes throughout the province. This is simply not the best direction for improving transport in this province. A diversity of options, including well-funded public transit, bike lanes, and walkable streets, is simply the best option to create the best cities to improve the wellbeing of all the people of Ontario.