This bill is yet another…

This bill is yet another decision by the Conservative Government that will be a waste of tax payer money. At a time when as a province we have a shortage on affordable housing, a crumbling healthcare system, and a crisis in our school system it baffles one’s mind as to why the Conservative Party and Premier Ford would interfere with the municipal jurisdiction of Toronto.

It is a fact that protected bike lanes encourage people to cycle, and increase the revenue for local businesses in neighbourhoods with bike lanes. This decision will not reach its intended goal of reducing traffic and will force more people to drive thus traffic will worsen. This continued prioritization of automobile reliance is not sustainable and will bankrupt our cities.

Every cyclist on the road is a net gain on the provincial budget. The healthier individual choice of cycling leads to reduced demand on family doctors, hospital wait rooms, and road maintenance. The societal benefits of reducing the amount of cars on the road are even more convincing. Car exhaust is linked to learning disabilities, asthma, cancer as well as other illnesses. The road noise caused by cars also increases your chance of heart attack and stroke. It leads one to wonder how the priorities for the conservative government and Premier Ford are decided. I would like to Ontario with a better vision for the future than to maintain this status quo.