I am writing to share how…

I am writing to share how disappointed I am to read about the contents of Bill 212 – Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act 2024. I am disappointed as your government has until now prided itself of fact-based decision making, while the reasoning behind this bill suggests it is the opposite of evidence-based. I am a driver, an all-year cyclist and a pedestrian at different times. I live just south of Bloor in Toronto. The bike lanes near my home have greatly improved local transportation and the community in several ways:

• Providing different transportation options for people of all ages. (Priceless)

• Good for business: The evidence-based study based on credit card receipts revealed that the existence of the bike lanes on Bloor increased sales at local businesses on the street, which explains why Bloor-Annex Business Improvement Area has publicly come out strongly against bill 212.

• Affordability: Biking is affordable. Your government has until now made affordability a priority. Why the change of heart?

• Fiscal responsibility: Removing the bike lanes would cost about 48$ million, as calculated by City of Toronto staff. It would tear up existing infrastructure. In addition to creating much more gridlock, it would be a waste of scarce public resources.

• Safety: As a taxpayer, I pay for the roads and other public spaces. I don’t see why the province should prioritize some road users over others and prioritize the physical safety of some road users over others. I find it particularly cruel to pit the minutes saved for some against the physical safety of vulnerable road users.

• Removing the bike lanes would not improve traffic. As a landmark 2009 study in the American Economic Review showed, when road capacity increases by 1 percent in a metropolitan area, the number of cars on the road also increases by 1 percent. Providing other transportation options such as bike lanes, such as improved transit will reduce gridlock.

I would strongly encourage you to reconsider the premise behind this bill and return to evidence-based decision making. Thank you for your consideration.