I am deeply opposed to Bill…

I am deeply opposed to Bill 212. This provincial government has shown time and time again that it is self-interested and politically motivated, putting itself and its survival ahead of the broader interests of Ontarians. This bill will not reduce gridlock and save people time. The removal of bike lanes in the core is a useful political wedge issue, but flies in the face of what traffic engineers and subject matter experts have to say about the effect of bike lanes on traffic. It is, however, obvious that this government is not interested in data or expertise on this matter. That much is clear when the number most often cited by both Premier Ford and Minister Sarkaria is from a 2011 StatsCan survey. Recent data from the Ministry of Transportation suggests that cyclists represent around 5.8% of commuters in the City of Toronto. For trips into the downtown, where the bike lanes targeted are located, over 9% of road users traveled by bike, compared with 25% by car. In terms of the space allocated to each modal use, bike lanes are pulling their weight.

But this government does not care about data. Nor that traffic is mostly caused by construction. It is deeply committed to an ideological approach that will likely result in winning votes necessary for re-election, but will not provide long-term congestion relief. The province's own planning guidelines contradict its new approach on bike lanes, with most new developments in Toronto planned with more bicycle parking spots than car parking spots.

This is a deeply inappropriate jurisdictional over-reach, a waste of money, and a farce. Traffic will continue to worsen with fewer alternatives to driving available. People will die. But none of that matters to Premier Ford. This is good politics and bad governance.

While bike lanes have received most of the press, the portions of this bill focused on Highway 413 are also deeply troubling. Citizens will be more likely to have their property rights trampled, all in service of a highway that will provide no long-term congestion relief. Highway 413 will not save commuters 30 mins end-to-end as the government promises; it will accelerate sprawl and shape future development patterns in Ontario, leading to more cars, more driving, and more congestion. Decades from now we can have the same conversation again, about needing to pave more farmland for a new highway that will surely be the one to solve congestion once and for all.