As a regular bike commuter…

As a regular bike commuter in the province, I strongly disagree with this proposal to allow the Government to remove bike lanes as they so choose. I commute to work 3x a week (and often to other places as well, such as the gym and social activities) via cycling as it saves me both time and money compared to driving or taking the bus. If I didn't have as many safe, separated bike lanes to take on my commute, I would certainly think twice about cycling, especially in the early mornings and evenings when it is darker outside, as I would start to be concerned about my own safety as a cyclist. According to StatsCan, an average of 74 Canadians die each year from cycling collisions, 73% of which were collisions with cars. Areas where cycling is more prevalent, and therefore with better cycling infrastructure, tend to have lower rates of bicycle-related fatalities. The proposal to remove bike lanes on busy roads throughout the province to "improve traffic" shows no consideration for the safety of cyclists and active commuters and will almost certainly result in higher bicycle-related collisions. Are the safety and lives of active commuters less important to your government than the amount of time it takes drivers to reach their destination?

According to a poll by CAA, 40% of Canadians say that they would be more motivated to cycle more if bike lanes are separated by a physical barrier. In this period of time where many people are rightfully concerned about climate change and are actively looking for ways to go green, the government should be encouraging active transportation, not discouraging it by removing infrastructure that makes it safer and more convenient for the public.

This proposal is extremely shortsighted and serves only to address an immediate concern that commuters such as the Premier have to sit in their cars for a few minutes longer on their drive into downtown Toronto. It does not show consideration to the fact that active commuting is on the rise: between 1996 and 2016, the number of Canadians using bicycles as their main method of commuting doubled (The Globe and Mail). It additionally does not show consideration to the taxpayers; this proposal will result in millions of dollars being spent to undo work that already cost millions of dollars. I don't see any way that taxpayers should be happy with your government spending double the initial cost with nothing to show for it at the end, not to mention that EVERY commuter will now be inconvenienced by construction road closures yet again while the bike lanes that were just recently installed get ripped up.

In summary, I strongly urge the government to reconsider this shortsighted and costly proposal, which shows no consideration for the safety of active commuters, no consideration for the environmental benefits of active commuting, and no consideration for the cost and inconvenience to taxpayers for yet more pointless construction work on their roads.