This bill is a huge step…

This bill is a huge step backwards in many ways and an extreme disappointment on multiple fronts.

First, the building of Highway 413. The expected benefits are that people will save a significant amount of time travelling on this route. Looking at where the route connects - from the west end of Brampton to the north end of Vaughan, this will not be a popular route. Congestion that exists today won't be fixed by building this highway. Not to mention that building highways generally isn't considered a good way to fix congestion - public transit is. As mentioned on highway413.ca, it's true that the population of the region will continue to grow. It's impossible for everyone to drive a car to get everywhere, as we'll run out of road space for all the cars. Cars are not efficient, bad for the environment, and expensive, and building a highway to allow for more cars will not provide the projected benefits.

The second huge disappointment is the addition of removing recently built bike lanes in Toronto. I have personally ridden my bike on these streets due to the addition of the bike lanes. They are a great method of getting around that isn't a car for people who are able to bike. As many studies show, bike lanes do not increase congestion, and provide a much nicer street to walk on when they exist. When streets have too many cars on them, they are loud and not a place people want to be.

Both of these endeavours are also huge waste of time and money. The bike lane one is a city issue that should not be in the hands of the Ontario government. The money spent on the highway could be spent on public transit that would improve congestion and many other aspects of Ontarians lives.

It's bills like these put forth by the Ontario PC party that would truly make me consider leaving the province, as they will immeasurable long term damage to the province and undo what people have worked so hard for.