There is no data that…

There is no data that supports the assertion that bicycle lanes which remove a lane of vehicular traffic are increasing congestion on roads in the cities and towns of the Province. Congestion is increasing because the population is increasing and geometrically, there is no more room for additional automobile traffic on our roads. Bicycles are a carbon-neutral means of transportation which also encourage active lifestyles. In order for bicycling to be a viable means of transportation, lane infrastructure needs to be created and connected in a network fashion, just as with roads for automobile traffic.

At a recent public hearing on the Bloor St. W. bike lanes in Toronto, the deputy fire chief indicated that on sections of the road where lanes had been installed, response times for his emergency vehicles improved. This is likely because a 2nd or curb lane for vehicular traffic which is occasionally blocked by a parked car requires all road users to manage drivers merging back into the single unobstructed lane, which is a time-consuming and inefficient process. With one one lane for vehicles, there is no lane-changing, and no subsequent time cost associated therewith.

Infrastructure projects which expand the number and size of roads for vehicular traffic have consistently failed to 'reduce congestion' for a century or more. The concept of 'induced demand' is a real one, with clear precedent in observable reality. Tearing up bike infrastructure and blocking the development of additional lanes will do nothing to make driving around Toronto faster or easier, and will certainly lead to some avoidable deaths.