It is extremely frustrating…

It is extremely frustrating to see this government try to scapegoat bike lanes as an explanation for the gridlock and traffic congestion facing our cities. Research on this topic conducted in North America and other countries consistently indicates that protected bike lanes do not significantly worsen traffic congestion or emergency vehicle response times. In many cases, bike lanes actually reduce the number of cars on the road and improve traffic flow by providing people with the option of cycling instead of driving their car. Indeed, as a taxpayer in Toronto who rides my bike as my primary way to get around the city, dedicated and protected bike lanes allow me to leave my car at home and and feel safe riding my bike instead. Tearing up bike lanes is a sure way to put more cars on the road by discouraging people from using alternative modes of transportation. Bike lanes also save lives, period. This is confirmed by the results of many studies showing that bike lanes make roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and even other drivers. Six cyclist have already died riding in Toronto this year. This number is sure to increase if you rip up bike lanes that people use every day to get to work, ride with their kids to school, and visit family and friends. Our cities are facing gridlock and traffic congestion due to increasing population and urban sprawl, the latter of which has been encouraged by the current government's policies. Instead of interfering with the ability of cities to make decisions based on the needs of residents living in their neighbourhoods, the provincial government should be focusing on speeding up the delivery of public transit options that provide the best way to ease traffic congestion and gridlock.