Hi Staff, I am a resident of…

Hi Staff,

I am a resident of Ontario that consistently drives and cycles around the entire region especially in Toronto and its major routes like Bloor, University, and Yonge. Ever since the new protected bicycle lanes have been added to these routes, me and my family have felt much more safe and protected from traffic. We constantly use these bike lanes every single day since they make riding our bikes to the places where we need to be safe and convenient while allowing us to use the most direct route. We genuinely feel like our lives are not at risk for choosing our bikes over other methods of transportation.

When driving, I also find myself experiencing less conflicts between others on bikes allowing for me and other drivers to get around more efficiently through these corridors. Forcing bicycles to share traffic lanes would only make these conflicts more common and drastically impact traffic flow and the safety of everyone.

I would love to see proper research that backs up the Province's statement about how "bike lanes cause traffic congestion." From my experience, they not only improve congestion as well as save lives. Even when a car lane is removed, bike lanes have consistently made my experience as a driver and cyclist better. Not only that, they also allow my family to get around quickly, efficiently, and safely.

If the Province truly wants to fix traffic congestion, I would highly encourage it to finish existing transit projects as well as focus on providing viable alternatives to driving instead of encouraging even more of it, and putting people's lives in danger.

Please reconsider this legislation or at the very least provide proper backing with data, facts, and common sense.

Best Regards,
Matt