Hello, I would like to state…

Hello, I would like to state that I vehemently oppose this bill proposal. I believe it is a classist, counter-productive, and overall harmful bill. It reads as a thinly-veiled plot to line the pockets of Doug Ford's construction cronies while spousing a false narrative of making the province more efficient.

First I would like to show why this bill proposal is classist and will, in effect, harm lower income individuals and families. According to the Autotrader price index report, as of June 2024 the average cost of a new car is 66,807 CAD and the average cost of a used car is 36, 342 CAD. According to Statistics Canada, the average annual income in Ontario for an individual is 58, 700 CAD. Lower income individuals and families RELY on alternate modes of transportation other than cars. Cycling is a cheap, efficient way to commute. Many citizens are not able to afford a motorized vehicle, and a bicycle is a necessary alternative for them. I understand that public transit is also an option but can be unreliable, especially considering the service cuts already imposed on the T.T.C. It is a direct act of class violence to remove existing, safe bike lanes. I will expand upon this below.

I believe this to be not only an unnecessary bill, but a dangerous one. There have been six instances of a fatal traffic collision involving a cyclist in Toronto this year. That is six cyclist fatalities to be clear. This number is a single-year record for Toronto. This number would undoubtedly grow if you take away the already too few bike lanes that already exist. There is already a blatant disrespect for cyclists and bike lanes considering how often they are obstructed by construction, garbage bins, or countless other objects. Removing these basic, minimal safeguards you expose cyclists to the regular flow of traffic, which increases the likelihood of a serious collision. This is not rocket science.

Lastly I want to speak on how this bill is counter-productive in achieving its outlined goals. This proposal claims that removing bike lanes will increase efficiency by easing congestion on Ontario highways and roads. Forgive me, but I do not see in any reasonable way how the removal of bike lanes in metropolitan areas will have any effect whatsoever on the congestion of highways. This is a MASSIVE reach, and in fact I believe that it will have the opposite effect. Studies show that adding more alternative modes of transportation is the most efficient way to ease traffic congestion. Taking away bike lanes will force thousands of people into cars, adding to the congestion. As for the thousands more who cannot afford cars, they are left with much fewer options. Either take public transit which would likely extend their commute significantly, or continue to cycle at an massively increased risk to their health and safety.

In conclusion, I think this is a completely unnecessary bill that will massively inconvenience thousands of citizens, if not directly making their lives significantly harder. It reads as a thinly-veiled excuse to line the pockets of Doug Ford's friends. We have seen this play many times in our premier's tenure. It is completely unacceptable and gross to put citizens at risk through the guise of "efficiency". Furthermore, it does not make a good case for nor does it provide evidence for its claims. I strongly urge to vote no on this bill.

Sincerely, a concerned citizen.