A world class city, like…

A world class city, like Toronto, must take action today to improve the design of the city of tomorrow. A world class city, focuses on efficient urban design, safe neigbourhoods/streets for pedestrians and tackling climate change through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

I am born and raised in Toronto, and I am fortunate to have also travelled to other parts of the world, primarily Europe where my grandparents reside. While I understand Canada is much larger in geographical area than that of countries in Europe (or even Europe as a whole) I see the benefits of incorporating bike lanes in the city.

We don't even half to look far, when looking for improved state of life of residents, for example Montreal, who are taking a lead in building bike lanes to get people moving around the city. I am against the proposal and urge the province not to interfere with the design of municipal areas, specifically regarding bike lanes, as there are numerous health benefits and congestion relief benefits to bike lanes. Further studies should look into the air quality effects of idling, however removing bike lanes and adding back a lane for vehicles will only result in more traffic and more cars on the road via "induced demand".

One thing to note, is that building bike lanes is not sufficient enough to reduce gridlock, as improvements in transit systems must also be made to ensure there are safe and reliable options for citizens. While cities in the West were primarily designed for cars, numerous studies show that this is not sustainable for the future of mobility as populations grow and more people move to or live in the city.

Updating street designs to make it more safe for pedestrians, removing spaces for cars in certain areas, adding various modes of mobility all have a place in our discussions today for a better state of living for future generations.