I strongly disagree with…

I strongly disagree with bill 212. Bike lanes are an essential part of modern urban infrastructure.

When I was young, I lived on a road that did not have sidewalks. Instead, there was a bike lane that often was shared between pedestrians and bicycles. Walking in these bike lanes was my only option to get to the nearby bus stop, mailbox, and friends homes. Without this lane, I would be trapped in my home, relying on two working parents for rides, or walking on the narrow curb of vehicle traffic moving at speeds of 70 km/h. The bike lanes around my home were essential for my freedom of movement as a young person.

As someone who now primarily drives, I find bike lanes are a safer and more comfortable option for all road users. It keeps traffic separated, which allows us all to travel without worry about collision. When there are no bike lanes, or the lanes are in poor condition, I and many drivers often have to move over to allow room for the bicycle. Occasionally, this involves either slowing down or crossing into the lane for traffic in the opposite direction. It's the very dangerous alternative to separate lanes. I would hate to see disappear.

Lastly, in areas where we have already invested in robust bicycle infrastructure, tearing them out will be massive increased cost for very little to no benefit. I don't want my tax money spent on making the quality of life worse for residents of Ontario's largest city and every other community across the province. Traffic relief within a city is not a matter for the provincial government, but for the municipal government. Let Toronto govern Toronto streets.

Bicycles are going to exist on the road regardless. It is an environmentally friendly, affordable and healthy mode of transportation that is only going to increase in popularity in the coming years. This bill will set Ontario back decades and quite frankly it is embarrassing this is up for debate.