As a Toronto resident,…

As a Toronto resident, driver, and cyclist, I oppose the provisions in the bill that would remove existing bike lane infrastructure. My family uses the bike lanes. My children use them regularly and without the bike lanes, their travels would be less safe.

The transportation priorities of city residents seems to be a hyper local issue, upon which voters in far away places should not concern themselves. While the province has the power to intrude upon municipal affairs, that power should be lightly. I see nothing of provincial concern on this issue, just as the province wouldn’t concern itself with the presence of a stoplight in Little Current on Manitoulin Island.

I am alarmed by the expansion of the expropriation power embedded in the bill. The 413 should be subject to the same standards and environmental reviews as other projects.