I oppose the passing of this…

I oppose the passing of this bill by the Ontario government. This represents serious interference with the operation of cities and towns by the elected officials who intimately work with and in the cities and towns. The Ontario government was elected to oversee the province, not the minute decisions of the cities and towns, such as whether or not a city or town can install bike lanes.

Congestion in Ontario's cities and towns will only worsen with this bill, not improve. Data and science show how bike lanes help ease traffic. Why is the Ontario government looking to worsen traffic?

I am a Torontonian who walks, bikes, takes public transit, and drives. I feel unsafe in Toronto as a pedestrian and bicyclist because of the poor road design and drivers who treat others with callousness and impunity. The removal of bike lanes and the blocking of installation of bike lanes will only discourage people from choosing to bike instead of drive. Every car taken off the road by a person who decides to bike represents an improvement in congestion.

Congestion is a serious problem for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and impacts the productivity of its many citizens. I used to commute for school and work via car and lost many hours due to traffic. Because of the poor alternative transit options, I had to drive.

Now that I live and work in Toronto, I have plenty of options to get around Toronto. After I picked up biking in order to get from point A to point B, my quality of life improved.

It is incredibly shortsighted for the Ontario government to pass this bill. I am outraged that the Ontario government is ignoring science and data in a misguided effort that ultimately will worsen the lives of Ontarians.