Being retired, and still…

Being retired, and still very active I am constantly grateful for all the bike paths and trails in and around Toronto
I am writing to whomever it may concern, that the proposal to shut down several high traffic, and likely in future, other essential routes, is short sighted and vindictive
There are two reasons why Bill 60 is a catastrophic mistake
The first argument is about the misrepresentation of bike lanes snarling traffic
During this last summer, I needed to get from Broadway Avenue to Islington Ave by bicycle during the evening rush hour
As I passed the cars on my left, I was amazed that none of these vehicles had a passenger. Also the vehicle traffic was not curtailed by bike paths, but by traffic lights.
Everywhere the vehicles were stationary, the bicycles (probably about the same number as motorists) moved along
It was the same experience cycling along the Queensway 2 weeks ago. Every vehicle (about 30 of them) that I passed had only one occupant
I have heard Mr Ford's comments relating to the judge who has put an injunction on the removal of bike lanes which according to him, "usurped the will of the people and the democratic process"
I can only remind Mr Ford that these bike lanes have not been installed at the point of a gun. There has been no pepper spraying of demonstrators demanding these lanes needed removing. Far from it, these current bike lanes have been installed by duly elected officials of the Toronto municipality, who continue to be re-elected
Perhaps Mr Ford would do well to study the concept of Subsidiarity
This is "a principle that states social and political issues should be handled at the most local and immediate level possible"
Indeed, I'm sure that the Ontario government would make exactly this case should the federal government impinge on provincial responsibilities
The entire concept of taking out bike lanes on very popular cycling routes will enhance the "experience" of motorists is totally flawed. These routes just happened to have underneath them, very efficient and effective public transit. As the provinces very own studies provide incontrovertible evidence that the problem (if one actually exists) is anything but the bike lanes in question.
It's time for the province to get out of municipal affairs at this micro level and step up to further fund and encourage motorists to move to public transit
The second argument relates to whether Toronto can ever be an "international world class city"
By banning bike paths, the Ontario government is heading off into the opposite direction for "livable cities". Typically, this means people centric rather than vehicle centric city centres
After traveling to many places in the past 10 years, it's always embarrassing to return to Toronto because the public transit is so far behind even far poorer places world wide
By placing priorities on an individual motor vehicle (eg, no annual licence fees, tax give aways on fuel subsidies) Toronto residents city livability index are wildly inferior to inhabitants of many bona fide world class cities
By banning these bike lanes, the Ontario government is condemning the population of this and other Ontario cities to forever be 3rd rate cities
Mr Ford, stop this continuing impoverishing of Toronto residents and make a positive difference for the future, and not repeat the tired wasteful concepts of the past.
In short, repeal this legislation of Bill 60, and support real modern world solutions to city traffic by enhanced public transit funding