Hello, The proposal outlined…

Hello,

The proposal outlined in Bill 212 is not well thought through as to the long-term impacts which will be caused by implementation of its elements. It disturbs me that with so many well-educated specialists in the fields that this bill covers, environment, city planning, road safety, it appears the findings of these experts has not been listened to.
The Carolinian Zone in Southern Ontario is a hotspot for biodiversity, with more species of rare plants and animals than anywhere else in Canada. Why is this Provincial Government so set on ignoring the irreparable damage that can be done by paving over habitats found nowhere else in Canada without even giving an environmental assessment the opportunity to redirect a destructive path?
Vision Zero and the development of city streets, and signaling systems to keep them moving, have been in the works for years and are data-driven and based on international best practices. Failure to recognize the actual data by this Provincial Government is causing them to send out misinformation to the citizens of the province on the impacts that bike lanes are having on Emergency Management Services' response times. Such a campaign based on nonfactual information is not something that serves the public well. Traffic in a growing city expands. Cars are being driven more with post pandemic back-to-office mandates. Simply put, more cars means more gridlock. The presence of bike lanes is not having the significant impact that this Provincial Government blames on them when the data across the city is examined. There are pockets, during periods of high volume, where gridlock occurs on lanes with dedicated bike lanes, however the high volume and traffic slow down occurs on similar streets without bike lanes. Car volume and not bike lanes is the culprit.
Removing bike lanes will only mean commuters using both kinds of vehicles, cars and bicycles, will be sharing the same lanes without consideration for the safety of the more vulnerable. It is a fact that with more or wider lanes cars go faster, often beyond posted speed limits. Going faster not only reduces reaction times but also creates more deadly results when pedestrians or cyclists are hit. So far in 2024, six cyclists and 18 pedestrians have been killed on Toronto streets by cars or trucks. How many more deaths by car is this Provincial Government willing to accept to allow car drivers to potentially go faster. What will they say when deaths rise and there is still gridlock on Toronto streets and $75 million dollars of taxpayers' dollars have been wasted because the real facts weren't listened to? The Premier needs to start checking his facts, reading the actual data and not just listen to the complaining voices of a handful of privileged motorists who likewise haven't checked the facts.
I drive, but only when it makes sense. With the transit system in the city supporting Bloor, Yonge and University routes, more use of these options should be promoted, not making room for more cars on these routes. Why can't Toronto and Ontario be world class? Regressive actions like Bill 212 which focus on the wrong things, that's why.