Regrading: 195.3 (1) …

Regrading: 195.3 (1) Except as permitted by the regulations, a municipality shall not, by by-law or otherwise, reduce or permit a reduction in the number of marked lanes available for travel by motor vehicles on a highway or a portion of a highway under the municipality’s jurisdiction and control for any of the following purposes:

1. A bicycle lane.

I am writing to demand that the provincial government respect Municipal and community-level decisions to implement bike lanes and improve healthy, active and sustainable transportation with climate benefits and REMOVE this part of Bill 60 entirely.

Once again, this government oversteps it's position and purpose. So many communities and working groups recognize that increasing bicycle lanes serve wide varieties of tax-paying citizens- people working, enjoying a healthy lifestyle, students young and old. Cycling makes a positive impact towards mitigating the effects of air pollution and climate change. Bike lanes take years of community discussion, engagement and funding projects. Bike lanes are proposed, constructed and used by the people in their own municipalities with the purpose of improving life of local people in their own neighborhoods and working locations. Before Covid, there were record numbers of young and old people recognizing climate change effects and protesting for climate change action by all levels of government. Climate change continues to be a major worry for people, young and old around the globe and bike lanes are positive developments to address the needs of municipal, provincial climate action. The constantly increasing cost of living, continues to contribute to surges in numbers of young and old people turning to bikes as an affordable mode of transportation. These people need to continue to have access to safe bike lanes as their numbers continue to increase year after year. The other thing that continues to increase is gridlock where numerous condos dozens of stories tall, bringing more and more drivers into our urban spaces. We cannot keep pace with building roads to move the populations in our densely poplulated areas. Only great investments and improvements in public transit, and safe and active transportation, can help to keep moving citizens effectively once a certain threshhold has been reached.