AGAINST I love to drive. It…

AGAINST

I love to drive. It can be convenient, safe and fun in many situations. With that said investment in alternative ways of getting around is key for a truly free city, as it gives options to residents. Removing bike lanes will only make public roads more unsafe. I dodge a lot of bikers in my city. The difference is I don't want people off bikes (my drive is often also full of car traffic, more cars is not ideal) I want them safely away from my vehicle on dedicated paths.

Additional government oversight - municipal planning is slowed when having to seek approval from the Provincial Government. This strikes me as odd from a government that has prided itself on removing or streamlining unnecessary bureaucracy. This will only serve to slow the progress of developing much needed urban infrastructure (another government policy priority base on all the ads I'm seeing about it).

Freedom - cities need developed options for commuters to get around, whether it's by car, transit, walking or biking. In Canada we seem to think that biking is for children, but it truly is a mode of transit for many. Cars will always be around, and as a driver myself I will likely always prefer to drive. But it's great to have options when driving feels impractical, and I want those other options to be safe and sustainable. Not everyone can or should drive either, cars are expensive in a time of financial stress on many (as you can see by the dramatic slide in vehicle sales these past two years).

Temporary fix for congestion - adding additional lanes to public streets will only work in the short term, until residents are incentivized away from other methods of getting around and seek driving as well. This is illustrated by Braess's Paradox (linked). It can work the other way as well, if no effort is placed in driving and everyone is forced into transit, it will also become crowded. The key is balance between the many options giving residents the FREEDOM to choose which works best for them.

Public safety - biking will never really go away, especially as cars remain expensive. Without safe and complete routes for cyclists, they will be forced into traffic, which will lead to deaths. Additionally this will ironically slow traffic as cars and bikes are reduced to the same speed as they mingle on public streets.

With the federal public service return to work mandate I've witnessed a massive increase in car traffic on the way to work on the 417. Most, it seems, have one person in each car. If people had options to get to work I truly believe that the flow of traffic would be reduced, so people wouldn't have an hour and a half commute both ways (downtown Ottawa parking is also a nightmare).