Here is my list of reasons…

Here is my list of reasons why the bike-lanes plan will make roads more dangerous for cyclists and motorists, add unneeded red tape and move us back decades in both infrastructure:

1. Removing or restricting bike lanes leads to more bikes sharing the road with cars, which is more dangerous and slows the flow of traffic.

2. Commuting by bike instead of car means one less car on the road, which improves traffic for those who choose to or need to drive.

3. Bike lanes, especially with physical barriers, are very safe. There have already been 6 bicyclist deaths this year, which is 6 too many.

4. Provincial approval for municipally led bike-lane projects add unnecessary red tape, which is antithetical to the provincial government’s agenda. Has Mike Harris Jr., Minister of Red-Tape Reduction, weighed in on this plan?

5. Ripping up established bike lanes is a waste of money. Time and again studies have shown adding car lanes is not a universal fix for congestion.

6. The existence of bike lanes is not a war on cars. I agree that we need a balanced approach that considers cars, bikes and pedestrians. There will always be people who rely on driving as a primary means of getting around urban spaces. However, I fail to see how such a restrictive plan, one that would pause or even undo Ottawa’s progress in building safe and reliable biking infrastructure, is fair to cyclists. All of the arguments against bike lanes are based on shoddy anecdotal evidence without consideration for data on how they benefit motorists and cyclists alike.