I'm writing to share my…

I'm writing to share my dismay at the Ontario government's decision to propose Bill 212. As a cyclist, I will have a decision to make to either 1) switch to driving (adding yet another car on the road) or 2) continue to cycle, and abide by the government's regulation, "You do not need to stay to the right when...the lane is too narrow to share." This situation applies to many roads in the city, which means I will be riding in the centre of the lane in most instances, requiring cars to travel behind me (or pass me once the left-most lane is clear). Neither of these options will improve the driving experience for anyone, and will not lead to increased travel times.

Additionally, the legislation to remove bike lanes reduces safety for the large number of individuals who use bicycles in Toronto to travel between home and work, to school, to leisure activities, to visit friends, etc. Bike Share continues to expand in the city (https://schoolofcities.github.io/bike-share-toronto/growth) and experienced 5.7 million bike trips in 2023 -- this means 5.7 million fewer car trips in the calendar year.

Additionally, every trip by bike helps to reduce damage to the environment. More people riding bikes reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and as an added bonus, leads to improvements in one's personal cardiovascular health!

It's a no-brainer that more bike lanes rather than fewer are what is needed for a large urban environment like Toronto. We need a suite of options for effectively moving the folks who travel through the city every day - reducing the number of cars, by making the city more welcoming to those who choose these alternate ways to travel, including by foot, by bike, and by transit.

Please listen to the research evidence that so many well-informed folks have been publicly sharing with you, so that we can continue to make Toronto a livable, strong city for all.