I am strongly against…

I am strongly against Schedule 4, Part XII of this bill. This is an egregious case of additional red-tape and over-reach. I am displeased by this government's lack of fiscal responsibility. Our focus should stop being on motor vehicle traffic and consider traffic as a whole. The goal should be to move people, not machines. Focusing on cars moving faster will only make our city streets more unsafe.

Since we seem to be operating on anecdotes instead of data-driven studies, I have a couple to share. I have several friends who moved out of the municipality (due to lack of affordable housing). They moved to satellite cities near GO train stations with the desire to use that mode of transport to continue visiting the city. Ever since, they’ve had to drive into the city because of line construction or infrequent / no service. I have friends within the city who live close to GO train stations who still choose to drive for the same reasons, who would gladly switch to transit if it were a truly feasible mode of transportation.

Due to underfunding and lack of proper accountability, people are pushed to congest. And removal of the option of safe alternatives to driving will only encourage it more. We’d be building a city of roads, not of destinations. Several studies have shown that a majority of customers to business on Bloor/Danforth are frequented by those who walk, take transit, or cycle. Several experts and studies show that cities encouraging modes of active transport are healthier and happier.

As a driver, cyclist, and public transit user, the biggest reason I would drive is due to overcrowding on transit (even during off-peak hours) due to lack of frequent service or unreliability and a patchwork of safe bike routes that would take me twice as long compared to a direct path to my destination.

If you want to reduce gridlock and save people time, without going back in time, fund transit operations and finish rail projects. Give people options. That’s the solution to congestion.