This proposed legislation is…

This proposed legislation is a clear misuse of resources. Research demonstrates robustly that bike lines do not increase congestion. Multiple studies cited and summarized in this CBC article (https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319) confirm this. Furthermore, they are a key element in decreasing reliance on fossil fuels and reaching climate target goals to provide a safe and sustainable future for everyone, both in Toronto and cities across the province. Spending resources on removing already established lanes makes no sense given the vast needs of our transport systems across the province. I live in Ottawa, and it is astonishing how poorly OC Transpo functions. Rather than wasting resources ripping up established lanes (which would also make traffic worse during the construction, which is what the legislation allegedly intends to correct, despite there being no evidence that bike lanes contribute to worse traffic), those resources could be allocated to improving public transit in cities across the province.

Comments by Premier Ford make it clear that this is a personal vendetta rather than anything based in research or actually improving the lives of Ontarians. From the CBC (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-bike-lanes-1.7369898) he has reportedly "complained about some bike lanes creating gridlock, in particular a stretch of Bloor Street West that is about a 10-minute drive from his home in Toronto's west end."

Further increasing our reliance on highways and fossil fuels, rather than investing in green initiatives and sustainability, including public transport and alternatives such as cycling, is the opposite of where Ontario should be moving in the face of large scale climate crisis. I urge the Ontario government to consider research, climate initiatives, and the well-being on Ontarians and reject this short-sighted proposal.