As a resident of Ontario, I…

As a resident of Ontario, I am against Bill 212 and I ask the Government of Ontario not pass this Bill as it will be ineffective in easing congestion in cities in Ontario. While there are several methods that can help with congestion in city centers, reduce travel times, save businesses money, and spur economic activity, removing bike lanes is not one of them. Rather, this Bill will make congestion worse.

Removing bike lanes without due process will not only be ineffective, but it will also increase the risk of injury and death for all road users: pedestrians, cyclists and people driving motor vehicles. Drivers will not arrive to their destination quicker with more accidents on the road - which is what will result from this Bill. The real-world outcome of this Bill will be Ontarians riding bikes being forced into traffic with motor vehicles. This will put everyone at greater risk and slow traffic. Separated bike lanes work not only to protect people who are riding bikes, but they also provide greater safety to pedestrians and drivers, as separating all modes of transportation reduces the risks related to interactions between modes. Many people riding bikes know that the best way they can stay safe without protected bike lanes is by "taking the lane": riding in the middle of the lane to prevent people in vehicles attempting dangerous passing maneuvers. As someone who rides a bike, I do not like taking the lane, but I know it is safer than leaving it up to the driver behind me to keep me safe. Whether taking the lane or staying as close to the right side as possible, having people riding bikes in the same lanes as cars will slow everyone down and increase accidents.

Bike lanes are an effective measure to reduce congestion in the city, and therefore their removal will work against the outcome claimed within the Bill. Bike lanes, alongside sidewalks, public transit, and slower speed limits work together to decrease car use in cities. This is because when people have the choice to walk, bike or take public transit, they will do so instead of driving. In a city like Toronto, we need to encourage this as much as possible, especially given our projected population growth, as the alternative is inconceivable: more and more people driving in the city and causing worse congestion. Toronto cannot afford to ignore the power of increasing peoples transportation choices and the impact that it will have on congestion. Imagine if, through more bike lanes, better public transit, and streets that people feel comfortable walking down, 10% of people who currently drive to work chose to take another mode of transportation. The results would be positive for everyone - especially other drivers, who would face less cars on the road and quicker driving times. I know many people in the city who bike every day and some of these people will switch to driving if there were not safe bike lanes for them to take - and the congestion caused by them switching to using a car will be due to this Bill, if passed. Other people who bike will choose to continue but will be put in danger and slow down traffic more without their designated and separated space on the road. When there is an accident due to these unsafe conditions for cyclists, all road users will be at a standstill.

It is incredibly disappointing to see something like bike lanes being used to try to score political points, though I know that people are not this easily fooled. My family lives across Ontario, mostly in more rural areas without bike lanes. They have no personal attachment to bike lanes and the advantages that they give to people in cities, but they have myself and others as family members and they want us to be safe when we go to work, visit friends, and support local businesses. Every person who rides a bike in a city has a family and friends who wants them to be safe and will vote for politicians who will work to balance the interests of all road users. Furthermore, when all Ontarians understand that the Ontario government is willing to spend their tax dollars to rip up practically new bikes lanes, wasting millions of dollars, they will be disgusted by the political stunts.

We may soon have a great example of a policy to decrease congestion in a city center with the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan, New York. While many may be wary of a toll, we know that congestion pricing is effective in reducing congestion in cities, and that the funds collected through this practice can be used to improve public transit in the city center, to ensure that everyone has convenient and equitable access to transportation. These are the kind of policies that the Ontario government should be looking at if it is serious about reducing congestion in cities in Ontario. If a toll is not attractive, some of the least controversial policies for decreasing congestion are building more bike lanes, reducing inner-city sped limits and supporting public transit. These are measures that cities like Toronto are working on, because they are effective and because they are the right level of government to make these decisions. The best way that the Government of Ontario can support less congestion in the city is to support municipalities with funding for bike lanes and public transportation, or at an absolute minimum to not pass Bill 212.

If this Bill passes, this government will be long remembered for wasting millions in taxpayer money to make everyone less safe, congestion worse, and businesses less successful. Not only will the signage recently passed by the City of Toronto make sure of this, but residents will remember and will continue to talk about this outrageous overreach and ineffective policy whenever possible. If the Government of Ontario only cares about scoring political points with this Bill, the risk to reelection should be the greatest consideration in your risk analysis of going forward with this Bill.