I whole heartedly do not…

I whole heartedly do not agree with this proposal. First, I believe the emphasis should be on working to make the province less vehicle focused, especially in urban centres. Second the exception allowing for new highway builds to bypass the Environmental Assessment Act is a step in the wrong direction. Removing bicycle lanes to make room for vehicles will not help ease congestion in a meaningful way. Public transit, and bicycle lanes allow for a much larger number of travellers per area than motor vehicles. Designated bicycle lanes are also safer, especially in the urban centres such as along those streets which the proposal aims to remove them. Many people are of the opinion that they do not feel safe bicycling in downtown Toronto without bikes lanes, so removing them will force more people to resort to driving, further exacerbating the congestion. Finally, the removal of existing bicycle lanes is simply put a waster of tax-payer funds. Converting existing bicycle lanes into traffic lanes may well result in a loss of revenue for the TTC as more commuters take private transportation. This would compound the financial loss resulting from replacing the bicycle lanes themselves. These funds would be much better utilized investing in projects in healthcare, public transportation, and other areas which would lead to long-term benefits for the province.

This leads me to the final issue I have with the proposal, being the utter disregard it shows to one of the most immediate problems of population growth: the environment. It is obvious and has been known for quite a long time that society cannot continue to grow without taking into account the impact such growth has on the environment. For a government which claims to care about the environment, this proposal shows with shocking clarity that this could not be further from the truth. Exempting Highway 413 from the Environmental Assessment act simply put, prioritizes short term growth over sustainable, long term wellness for the province. Any project, let alone one as large as that of highway 413, has the potential to deal irreparable harm to the environment and by extension to us. Allowing for exemptions from environmental assessments is shortsighted and irresponsible, putting the future of Ontario at risk. The same is true for the removal of bicycle lanes for the prioritization of vehicle traffic. The focus now needs to be building and improving existing methods of low emission travel.

This proposal shows a shocking lack of regard for my future and the future of the province as a whole, and I will not support it.