I am very concerned that…

I am very concerned that Bill 212 goes against the dozen year's progress since the 2012 Coroner's Report that recommended bike lanes and safe infrastructure to prevent cyclist deaths and serious injury. Vision Zero is realistic and achievable. While our population continues to grow across the province, we must shift transportation to active sustainable modes to prevent congestion, reduce pollution and improve health (our diabetes epidemic). Bike lanes for cycling and other forms of micromobility are the only safe method for doing this. When physicians (120 from U of T) who signed a letter, are against the removal of bike lanes, we need to listen to the evidence. When the Association of Municipalities of Ontario call this policy "significant overreach", we should listen. When the Ontario Professional Planners Institute are against this policy, they know how to design cities and towns and we should listen. They know how adding lanes for cars just creates more demand. (Look at 410 that is jam-packed with cars day and night.) When we have people struggling to budget their expenses and choose active transportation, we have a duty to think about equity and listen to them. Savvy entrepreneurs know cyclists and pedestrians stop and shop, not the car drivers who are passing through. BIAs have the statistics to prove this. This is a waste of taxpayers' money to rip up what has already been studied and built, and to micromanage the good work of the municipalities. Put money into transit and health instead!