This proposal moves Ontario…

This proposal moves Ontario backwards. Studies into the effectiveness of various interventions on commute times, including those commissioned by this government, indicate that we need to be doing the exact opposite of this bill.

We need more bike lanes. We need more transit. We need commuter trains with routes and schedules that are viable both within and between our cities and towns. We need to give people options that are better than their cars, to reduce the number of cars on the road. It will improve traffic for those who have to drive, and it will improve quality of life and reduce commute times for those who will then be able to commute conveniently via bike or transit.

We do not need more highways. We do not need more car lanes. Adding them will not improve gridlock. Remove parking in traffic lanes if we must implement an immediate change - it will be faster, cheaper, and reduce gridlock more than tearing out recently constructed bike lanes.

Even if we do add highways, it requires full environmental assessment to mitigate potential irreparable harm to our environment.

These issues are not novel to Ontario. We have a multitude of other countries to study who have dealt with these issues already. The actions we need to take to address gridlock are clear, and they are the opposite of what is being proposed here.