I strongly oppose this bill…

I strongly oppose this bill.

This bill undermines the freedom and autonomy of municipalities in deciding how to organize their traffic and implement traffic calming measures. The province should not interfere with local decisions regarding internal roads and bike lanes, as municipal governments have a better understanding of the needs of their taxpayers.

The bike lanes that have already been established were funded with municipal tax dollars. Removing these bike lanes will incur significant costs to provincial taxpayers. Is it fair for people in small rural towns to fund the removal of bike lanes in cities like Toronto?

Many people who currently commute by bike or other forms of alternative transportation will now be forced to drive, taking up more space on the road. The province should be encouraging the use of alternative transportation options—such as bikes, electric bikes, and scooters—on bike lanes to reduce car traffic and congestion.

I also suggest adding a provision to clear bike lanes during the winter, to make biking to work more feasible. This would provide people with the freedom to choose between driving or biking, while also freeing up road space for those who truly need to drive. We should not force people who could bike back into cars, further congesting our roads.

Bike lanes provide a safer way for both adults and children to commute by bike, as opposed to riding in traffic where cyclists can slow down cars and face safety risks. With bike lanes, drivers don’t have to worry about avoiding cyclists, and cyclists don’t have to worry about being hit by cars.