I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my opposition to Bill 212.

I'm concerned about the whole bill, but my comments are specifically about the provincial government's plans to take over jurisdiction of the responsibility for bike lanes from municipalities. I believe decisions about bike lanes should be left in the hands of the municipal governments.

I live in south Etobicoke. I own a car and a bicycle - I'm both a driver and a cyclist. I'm very disappointed when leaders try to pit residents against each other with labels that really don't reflect reality.

I want to see more bike lanes in Etobicoke and in the rest of the city so people on bicycles can get around safely, and because evidence shows that well-designed streets with bike lanes are safer for everyone - pedestrians, people on bikes, drivers, and everyone else.

When I drive, I find congestion is terrible almost everywhere in the city. I don't see worse congestion on Bloor than on lots of other streets that don't have bike lanes. Removing the few bike lanes we have will not begin to solve our congestion problems. Improving our transit system and providing a network of bike lanes will provide needed alternatives to driving, which will help solve our congestion problems.

I regularly use the bike lane on Bloor between Old Mill and Royal York Road as part of my commute. I always used to avoid the section of Bloor between Old Mill and Prince Edward because it felt so unsafe, with cars speeding past. I'm so grateful to have that protection. It allows me to safely get to shops on that section of Bloor on my way home from work.

I live near Evans and Browns Line. I would love to use the bike lane lane on Bloor west of Royal York more often, but there's no safe route for me to connect with it. I risk my life on Evans when I commute because at least it gets me to and from the painted bike lane on Royal York, which is better than biking on a street with no lane.

Speeding and running red lights are huge problems on our streets, and one thing I notice is how much worse the speeding is on streets with no bike lanes. Evans is treacherous, and Bloor west of Kipling, where the lane ends, is also incredibly dangerous. I like the way bike lanes have a calming effect and make neighbourhoods feel more welcoming, not just places to speed through on your way to somewhere else.

I've been so happy to see children with their parents, or young people on their own, biking safely on Bloor in the lanes. We know that the new developments coming to Bloor are going to bring many thousands of new residents to the neighbourhood, and we'll need options for them. We must not remove what little bike infrastructure we have. Instead, we need to see it as the spine of a network and give our kids and all of us the safety on our streets that we all deserve.

This work is best left in the hands of municipalities who know local needs and have the long view in mind.

Thank you for considering my comments.