I am wholeheartedly opposed…

I am wholeheartedly opposed to Bill 212. As a daily cyclist and a Toronto resident, I rely on bike lanes to commute safely and efficiently to my healthcare job at Mount Sinai Hospital. I use the Bloor and University bike lanes daily, and often with my young children on the bike with me.

By choosing to cycle, I’m helping reduce congestion and pollution, making the city more livable for everyone. Pedestrians are also safer on streets with cycling lanes as they are farther away from fast moving and dangerous vehicles.

Removing cycling lanes will force me into traffic lanes on my daily commute down Bloor, and thus endanger my life. The TTC, while an option, has frequent security delays resulting in me delaying vital patient care. Driving takes 3x as long as cycling and parking is $25/day at my workplace.

Cycling is accessible to all socioeconomic groups, as owning and driving a car is prohibitively expensive for many. By having safe cycling infrastructure children can safely ride to school, novice cyclists can feel safer navigating the city, and there will be less pollution, road wear & tear and less congestion.

Bike lanes on streets like Bloor-Danforth, Yonge and University have proven vital for safe commuting. Instead of taking them away, the Ontario government should be investing in more cycling and public transit infrastructure to support a healthier, greener, and less congested city. Let Toronto be a true world class city like Montreal, Amsterdam, Paris by de-centering cars, and funding pedestrian, cycling and transit infrastructure.