This note is addressed to…

This note is addressed to the provincial government of Ontario.

As a longtime resident of Toronto, I wish to state that I strongly oppose Bill 212.

First, it is wrong for the provincial government to essentially override the wishes of citizens in Toronto who chose to elect a mayor and council that are in support of bike lanes in our city. This flies in the face of the democratic tradition, especially as it disenfranchises the local community most affected by the bill.

Further, as an automobile driver in Toronto, I feel much safer in operating my vehicle when cyclists have their own lanes in which to ride. Asking heavy, motorized vehicles like trucks and autos to contend with a mix of cyclists in the same lanes is dangerous. We've seen a number of instances where cyclists have been seriously injured or killed due to this unwieldy arrangement.

Another key issue is related to health and our environment. Promoting safe cycling is a tangible way to encourage healthy physical exercise, while at the same time reducing the amount of noxious products of combustion that is polluting our planet and endangering the viability of our very civilization.

We also know that it is not bike lanes that constitute a major cause of traffic congestion in our city. The plethora of ongoing construction, much of which is related to various building and infrastructure projects instituted all at once – the latter having often been ignored for years and years – is, in my estimation, the single biggest factor in the gridlock that drivers are experiencing these days.

To top it all off, the provincial government now wishes to force the spending millions of taxpayer dollars simply to undo what has been accomplished to generate diversity and safety in our transportation networks across the city. What an irresponsible waste!