I do not believe bike lanes…

I do not believe bike lanes are the cause of traffic. The real problem is that people do not have many options besides driving. When safe bike lanes are available, people use them. I am one of those people. When bike lanes were added in my neighbourhood, I felt safe enough to try biking instead. Now I get around faster, I feel better physically and mentally, and I am not stuck in a car adding to the congestion.

Friends and coworkers of mine also started biking more and driving less because there are newly added bike lanes that made biking feel safe. That means fewer cars on the road, less pollution, and fewer people stuck in traffic. Taking away the ability for cities to build bike lanes does the opposite. It keeps us dependent on cars and makes it harder for people to choose cleaner, healthier ways to get around.

I also believe that municipal and local governments should be trusted to make decisions for their own communities. They know their roads and residents best. This bill takes that choice away from them.

Other places around the world (and even here in Canada, like Montreal and Vancouver) are moving away from car dependency and redesigning roads to include more bike infrastructure, because it works. It reduces gridlock, improves public health, and helps with climate goals. I do not want to see Ontario move backwards.