I am writing this comment to…

I am writing this comment to express strong disagreement with the proposed legislation to remove existing bicycle lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, and to permit removal of other existing bike lanes in Toronto and other Ontario municipalities. These actions will not reduce traffic congestion as is well documented by extensive evidence and research that has undoubtedly been shared with the Ontario Government by a range of experts in urban planning and transportation. Specifically, the phenomenon of Induced Demand is well established to show that adding lanes just encourages more people to drive, and congestion returns to the same level. There is also ample evidence showing that improving cycling infrastructure actually reduces car traffic as people switch to cycling. Furthermore, this legislation represents significant Provincial over-reach into municipal government matters. It concerns me and many others that the proposed legislation is not supported by evidence, and in fact appears to be part of a populist agenda to appeal to car-driving voters who are not well informed on the issues and sincerely believe that these actions will actually improve traffic congestion.