Plenty of Ontario residents…

Plenty of Ontario residents and organizations have already made the case for why Bill 212 does not represent good governance. It would not reduce congestion, but it would reduce road safety. Lessons from around the world teach that to reduce gridlock, a government should invest in better public transportation and build more active transportation infrastructure. Ontario is no different.

I'm writing to you because the decision to remove bike lanes makes me worry for my mother's safety. She is 73 and is trying to improve her health by riding her bike more. The cycling infrastructure in Toronto does not yet support her in this effort, but it is getting better.

More safe cycling infrastructure would make me feel better about my mom using her bike to get active. Removing some of the best cycling infrastructure -- that are also major connections in the cycling network -- and making it harder to build more safe routes, would put us back years as a city.

The Transportation Minister's disbelief at the City's stated cost to remove the lanes on Bloor, University, and Yonge, perhaps suggest that he has not taken a good look at them lately. They are not merely painted lines or cheap concrete slabs with flexi-posts. They are part of entirely redesigned streets and sidewalks.

I have a nagging suspicion that this Bill is not about reducing gridlock at all. Trust in government is low these days, because of bad decisions like this. The Ontario government should not play politics with road safety or local democracy. Respect that.