As a resident of Toronto who…

As a resident of Toronto who actively uses these bike lanes, I cannot overstate how strongly I oppose Bill 212.

Personally, I have two young daughters under the age of 4 and use these bike lanes almost every day to transport my children around our wonderful city. Contrary to Premier Ford's belief, bike lanes improve traffic flow by offering safer options for transportation that encourage a large portion of the public to bike instead of drive, thus removing more vehicles from the road. Bike lanes are better for the environment for the same reason. Bike lanes also help small businesses grow and thrive, since it's much easier to simply hop off your bicycle and lock up than it is to find a parking spot.

But above all, bike lanes save lives. I find it telling that Premier Ford would rather waste taxpayers' money on removing critical transportation infrastructure that is already built, instead of improving infrastructure for northern and rural communities, building sustainable, affordable housing, or even providing much-needed relief in the form of adequate funding for our healthcare system that is near collapse.

This bill is frankly an insulting overreach of provincial jurisdiction. Premier Ford and the provincial government should focus their efforts (and spending of taxpayer dollars) on more pressing matters that actually affect the entire province.