I’m so disappointed with the…

I’m so disappointed with the tabling of this bill. The only way to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of cars on the road. The only way to reduce cars is to provide people with alternatives to driving, like transit and cycling. While it might feel counter intuitive, the promotion of bike lanes means fewer cars on the road, making more space for those that need to drive. If we truly want to save time them we must make better use of limited space by enacting standards and measures that focus on the efficiency of moving people and not vehicles.

Also, as a parent, I worry that there are more vehicles on the road, that they are getting larger and heavier, and that they have increasing blind spots that make streets more dangerous for my child. I would very much like for my child to be able to navigate her neighbourhood safely on her bike. Bike lanes enable this. In fact, they empower mobility for many groups of people who otherwise cannot drive. A province (and a party that claim) to support family values would enable infrastructure that both protects and improves the quality of life of society’s most vulnerable members.

If these arguments of less congestion (and less pollution that goes with it) and improved safety are not compelling enough, then decision makers should at least be worried about induced demand. Opening up space for cars doesn’t save time because more cars will come, clogging up the newly created space, re-establishing the congested status quo. Therefore this bill cannot deliver on its promise. In fact, it will likely do the opposite. Researchers, engineers, public servants, city planners know this. I hope that more experts will speak out, pulling back the current on this false bill of goods.

Please show real leadership. Because this is not just about bike lanes, this is about the types of cities we want to live in and raise our children in. Leaders were not always so short-sighted, only concerned with the now. They knew they had a solemn responsibility to shape a city into its greatest potential for the next generation. They knew that what they built (or destroyed) today set their communities on a trajectory. I would like to support a bill and leaders with a bolder vision that includes fewer cars, active transportation, reliable public transit, fewer emissions, more green space, and safer streets adopting the Hierarchy of Controls. A bill like that would place Ontario cities amongst the best in the world, where everyone would want to live and do business.