The Province should not…

The Province should not overstep on municipal democracy. City Councillors and the public have advocated for these bike lanes.

Bill 212 is so focused on moving drivers, but it seems it is at the cost of the lives of pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers.
2024 has been a record breaking year for cyclist deaths. As a parent of a young child and someone who does not own a car, I feel so vulnerable sharing the road with drivers especially knowing that being killed by a car while cycling is not a rare occurrence. Cyclists have died on Bloor St, Yonge Street, and University Avenue and investments in cycling infrastructure are a step in the right direction to get to Vision Zero - zero road fatalities. This bill is so insensitive to the vulnerability of cyclists. Cyclists are not a monolith of privileged people. We are people who cannot afford cars, people who want a faster mode of transport in congested areas, and children who deserve independence before they can get a driver's license.

Bill 212 is only considering the wealthy who live outside of central Toronto, and can afford to drive into Toronto and drive out again at the end of the day. Cities like Toronto are unique in the Province and have unique needs and requirements. While Toronto should be inviting to people who live outside of Toronto, it should also address the needs and safety concerns of residents of Toronto first. Torontonians need cycle lanes, wide sidewalks, and plentiful transit.

Having bike lanes also reduces congestion. Consider if every person on a bike switched to driving. That is more congestion even if there's an extra lane of traffic. Congestion is getting worse every year because the population is growing. More lanes is just going to bring more congestion. Common sense and decades of research realizes that road widening and building new roads creates induced demand. Perhaps there will be free mobility for a few months, but it's just going to create more demand and the Province will be right back where it started. Those billions of dollars spent building highways and removing bike lanes will be a waste.

The Province needs to think long term about congestion. If you rely on experts and people who understand traffic management and transportation, you would know that the only way you will build your way out of congestion is through investments in public transit and cycling infrastructure. The idea that highways and extra road lanes will reduce congestion is not backed by any evidence, and I thought we left those antiquated approaches to transportation planning in the 1950s.

Bill 212 is in no way democratic. MPPs are only listening to a select few in Conservative ridings and there is no demonstrated public support of this bill. The Province is overstepping democratic processes to advocate for cycling infrastructure in order to benefit drivers in Conservative ridings outside of Toronto. This is shameful.