The proposal of Bill 212 to…

BILL 212 WILL MOVE US BACKWARDS - WE NEED TO SUSTAINABLY MOVE FORWARD INSTEAD

The proposal of Bill 212 to remove certain bike lanes and create a more difficult process for the implementation of new ones in the name of reducing vehicle congestion is extremely concerning.

To begin, research has shown that creating more traffic lanes creates induced demand. This means that an initial decrease in vehicle travel time incentivizes more people to drive their cars, and actually contributes to more congestion in the long run (WSP & Rand Europe, 2018).
Beyond the fact that this Bill will not actually address the problem that it says it will, the removal and prevention of bike lanes will have detrimental impacts on the achievement of local and global emission reduction targets. This Bill is essentially encouraging more people to drive their cars and weakening infrastructure for healthier and more sustainable travel methods.

Removing bike lanes is going backwards. By implementing Bill 212, we are setting ourselves up for failure and more problems in the long run. I urge the provincial government to rethink their decision to remove existing bike lanes and instead contribute to more cycling infrastructure that will support environmental sustainability when it is needed most.

References

WSP & Rand Europe (2018), Latest Evidence on Induced Travel Demand: An Evidence Review.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c0e5848e5274a0bf3cbe124…